Why We Haven’t Convicted Many Ex-Governors – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that delay tactics by lawyers during trials was one of the obstacles to securing the conviction of ex-governors and other politically exposed persons.

EFCC stated this in reply to a tweet by Tap Nitiative @TapNitiative at an on-going Tweet Meet on the current efforts of the commission to rid the nation of corrupt practices.

@TapNitiative asked: “@officialEFCC Congratulations on the recent convictions secured by your Commission against ex-governors. However, what are the bottlenecks the commission is experiencing in securing convictions against other ex-governors since 1999?”

According to the anti-graft agency, defendants’ lawyers have devised means of allowing cases to drag for long time with flimsy applications, which had made it impossible to conclude corruption cases in time.

Again, defendants are in the habit of resorting to delay tactics during trials. Their lawyers have devised means of stretching cases for a lengthy time with flimsy applications and especially throwing up argument against their own voluntary statements.#TrackNigeria #TheEagle

— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) February 28, 2020

The commission, however said there was room for improvement in the laws guiding prosecution of economic and financial crimes just as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 (ACJA) has improved prosecution of criminal matters in terms of duration.

The commission said: “Beyond the convictions of former governors, the commission has secured convictions of other politically exposed persons and top government functionaries, both serving and retired.

“It will interest you to know that between 2015 and 2019, the commission secured about 2000 convictions. This is no mean achievement.

“Whatever law(s) we have today in the fight against corruption is subject to improvement. It remains a work in progress; and we have a National Assembly that is very responsive.

“Like we have said on several platforms, there is still room for improvement on all other laws guiding prosecution of crimes cases in the country.

“Of course, the ACJA (2015) did help the commission to speed up these cases which hitherto had lingered for a long time. Not that alone, we need to acknowledge also the unwavering commitment and the political will of President Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against graft.”

The EFCC had late last year secured the conviction of former Abia Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu for corruption.

His successor and now Senator, Theodore Orji is also under probe for corruption by the anti-graft agency.