AGF ‘ll kill EFCC – Legal practitioner

An Abuja-based Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Barr. Kingdom Okere, has condemned the move by the National Assembly to scrap the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and make it a department under the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), and Minister of Justice.

Okere who noted that the AGF office has the power in section 174 of the 1999 constitution to continue and discontinue any criminal proceeding before judgment however, frowned at the politicisation of the EFCC issue.

Okere made the observation in an exclusive interview with Blueprint.

He said, “Although EFCC had over the years made itself a controversial witch-hunt agency in the hands of the government in power, he said it was not enough to now allow AGF Malami to use it for personal vendetta and then render it grossly inefficient.

“The office of the AGF will totally kill the already dead EFCC. For instance, about three million cases are laid in the ministry seeking diligent prosecution. I also have a pending matter at the court of appeal and for more than six months after a brief of argument has been served on the office of the AGF till date they have not filled their brief of argument.

“This is one among many millions of cases the office of the AGF is frustrating. It is a bad move, even if the EFCC over the years have underperformed and allowed itself to be politically influenced, making it an agency under Malami will totally destroy it.”

While cautioning the AGF, he noted with dismay the invasion of Judges’ residence, the removal of a sitting chief justice of Nigeria with an ex parte order and attempt to destroy the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), all of which happened under his watch, describing it as unbecoming.

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