Eko Hot Blog reports that Pelumi Olajengbesi, a human rights lawyer, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate all individuals who held cabinet positions or were appointed during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Buhari, the former president, served two consecutive terms spanning from 2015 to 2023, totaling eight years in office.
In a statement on Friday, Olajengbesi, who is the Managing Partner of Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, said the probe had become imperative with the startling revelations arising from the trial of ex-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The legal practitioner suggests that the EFCC should conduct financial audits for all government officials who served during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
The lawyer praised the EFCC for uncovering the purported forgery of Buhari’s and ex-Secretary General of the Federation, Boss Mustapha’s signatures by the embattled former apex bank boss. This individual is entangled in a $6.2 million fraud case during the recent election, as noted by foreign observers.
Olajengbesi said, “The audacity of those in power and their criminal influence is becoming too much and must be stopped.
“The EFCC must not stop at just the former CBN Governor Godwin, Emefiele, but should carry out an entire audit of principal actors who served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. There should be a deterrent for bad behavior.
“Again, the case of the suspended Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, Ahmad Salihijo over alleged N1.2bn fraud is fresh, and a pointer to the gross abuse of power by those who served under Buhari.
The lawyer further said “Emefiele and all those who served under the Buhari adminis8⅞ÿÿtration should be properly audited and given a chance to clear their names as the corruption that manifested under that government is gargantuan.”
Three witnesses have already testified against Emefiele, including an EFCC official and a forensic document examiner named Bamaiyi Haruna. Haruna informed the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama that his analysis revealed the forgery of documents used to release $6.2 million from the CBN in February 2023.
Ex-SGF Mustapha, another witness, informed the court that both he and ex-President Buhari were unaware of the $6.2 million, emphasizing that Buhari’s signature was forged for the transfer. The third witness, Onyeka Ogbu, a deputy director at the apex bank, also provided testimony.
The EFCC, on June 18, 2023, arraigned Emefiele on amended 20 counts, in which he was accused of impersonating Mustapha to illegally move $6.2m from the CBN vault.
In the charges EFCC accused Emefiele of collaborating with Odoh Ocheme, currently evading authorities, to fraudulently obtain $6.2 million from the CBN on February 8, 2023. They allege that Emefiele asserted the fund request originated from the SGF in a letter dated January 26, 2023, with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01.
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