The recent virulent outbursts on a national television programme by a United Kingdom-based Nigeria lawyer, Prof. Fidelis Oditah, calls for serious concern as it was nothing short of corruption fighting back.
One is taken aback that Oditah, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), though far from home, could go on a national television’s live programme to display or feign lack of knowledge about the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s Establishment Act, operations and recent sterling accomplishments of the commission, especially under the current leadership of Mr. Ola Olukoyede as Chairman.
The professor’s unrestrained attacks on the EFCC and his startling comments trivialising the issue of corruption and the unrelenting efforts and commendable achievements of the commission in the last one year, leaves much to be desired.
One cannot accept that the professor, though foreign-based, is unaware of the developments and achievements of the EFCC in the last one year, even in this age of the internet.
Rather, one suspects that corruption is fighting back. Having failed to rubbish the EFCC and its Chairman through simulated attacks by its local recruits, Nigeria’s politically exposed persons undergoing corruption trials might have chosen to ‘boost’ their well oiled propaganda machine by recruiting foreign based “opinion experts”.
Ironically, the Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Wray, from the United Kingdom, where Oditah has long been ensconced, paid a historic visit to the EFCC headquarters, commending the commission on the feat attained in the fight against corruption and financial crimes and seeking more collaboration with the commission in their shared mandate of fighting corruption and financial crimes across the borders. The visit was the first of its kind in the annals of the EFCC.
Wray expressed confidence and appreciation to the commission for its professional handling of transnational economic and financial crimes, especially cybercrimes and sextortion; and pledged stronger cooperation with the commission.
The renewed attraction of foreign law enforcement/anticorruption agencies to the EFCC under Olukoyede has been unprecedented and strongly anchors on the new face of the fight against economic and financial crimes. EFCC’s new professional approach resonates well with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), leading to positives outcomes and result-oriented synergies.
Also, on 6 September 2024, the EFCC boss handed over to the RCMP $180,300 (about N310 million) and 53 vehicles worth hundreds of millions of Naira; being assets recovered for Canadian victims of Nigerian fraudsters.
Representing the Canadian authorities and the RCMP at the handover ceremony were the First Secretary st Deputy High Commission of Canada, Robert Aboumitri and Liaison Officer and Programme Manager of RCMP, Nasser Salihou.
The EFCC has also been making exploits with the Spanish Police. On 20 September 2024, Olukoyede handed over €5,100 (about N9.5 million) proceeds of crime to the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Ignacio Sell, being the sum recovered from a Nigerian romance fraudster for Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, a Spanish victim, by the EFCC in collaboration with the Spanish Police.
It can therefore be discerningly deduced that Oditah’s vituperations were not only out of touch with realities on ground concerning the EFCC, but also, most probably, stemmed from the spurs of the political clique that is seriously unhappy with EFCC, as it continues to touch and puts on trial, the hitherto “untouchables” and “sacred cows”.
As the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, puts it: “There is no denying the fact that the respected professor goofed in all his comments about the EFCC and his views are not reflective of the realities on ground concerning the anti- corruption fight of the government”.
However, it is good and reassuring to note that Olukoyede remains unperturbed, undeterred and undaunted in his commitment to delivering the constitutional mandate of the EFCC. As he declared in a charge to EFCC operatives, after mandating all of them to declare their assets for verification: “Don’t be tired. They will call us names. They will abuse us. But we will remain on our feet and pursue the mandate that was given to us by the (EFCC) Act. We will fight this war. I assure you that there will be be light at the end of the tunnel. We will win at last. Nigeria will win”.
Osifisan, a social policy advocate, is the Programme Coordinator at the Abuja-based Journalists Against Corruption. He can be reached on osifisankehinde269@gmail.com
