EFCC given 7 days ultimatum to initiate criminal charges against Tinubu

By Our Correspondent

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been given a seven-day deadline to prosecute Bola Tinubu, a presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

 Concerned Nigerians Advocacy Group issued the ultimatum in a letter dated March 25, 2022, addressed to EFCC Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa.

 The letter, signed by Deji Adeyanju, urged the EFCC to investigate the source of money delivered to Tinubu’s home in bullion vans during the 2019 Presidential election. 

 Adeyanju warned that if the EFCC does not comply within seven days, the group will go to court to compel it to do so. After receiving the body’s petition two years ago, the activist wondered why the anti-graft agency had yet to investigate Tinubu.  

He accused the EFCC of selected justice with the arrest of former Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, while Tinubu goes about freely. Adeyanju urged EFCC to immediately initiate criminal charges against the former governor of Lagos State.

 The full text of the letter reads…

 Dear Sir, RE: PETITION TO INVESTIGATE THE SOURCE OF MONEY CONVEYED IN BULLION VANS TO THE HOME OF ASIWAJU AHMED TINUBU ON THE EVE OF 2019 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. 

 The above subject matter refers. You will recall that on the 25th day of October 2019, we submitted a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (E.F.C.C), requesting an investigation into the appearance of bullion vans in the compound of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the eve of the 2019 elections. 

The petition is herein attached. However, we note that more than two years after the petition was received and acknowledged by the E.F.C.C, the commission is yet to prosecute Bola Ahmed Tinubu or in the alternative, issue us with a copy of its investigation report. 

Ironically, in the intervening period between our first letter and this reminder, the commission has investigated several high-profile suspects, mainly of the opposition stock, and even charged some to Court. 

Just recently, the Commission arrested the former governor of Anambra state, Mr. Willie Obiano, and leaked a video of him under the E.F.C.C’s custody. 

 We, therefore, wonder, why is the commission unwillingly to investigate and prosecute Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu? The only conclusion we can arrive at is that the commission engages in selective prosecution of suspects, contrary to the clear dictates of the law. 

It is important to remind the commission that section 1 of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act states that no person or body corporate shall, except in a transaction through a financial institution, make or accept a cash payment of a sum exceeding N5,000,000 (in the case of an individual) or N10,000,000 (in the case of a body corporate). You may note that the present government rode on to power on an “anti-corruption mantra”.

 It is ironic to note that the commission is unwilling to investigate and prosecute one of the government’s major backers, contrary to the president’s stance on total anti-corruption fight, irrespective of whose ox is gored.

 Sequel to the foregoing, we, hereby, demand that the commission initiates criminal charges against Mr. Ahmed Bola Tinubu or send us its investigation report on our earlier petition (in the event that the commission finds him innocent), within seven working days from the receipt of this letter. 

 Please take note that if our demand is not complied with within seven working days from the receipt of this letter, we shall approach a court of competent jurisdiction, seeking an order compelling the commission to perform its statutory duties.