Why I gave EFCC ultimatum to reopen Atiku’s ‘financial crimes’ case – Ex-lawmaker

A former lawmaker who represented Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has explained why he gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, an ultimatum to reopen an alleged financial crimes case involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Saturday, Agbonayinma said Atiku could not be prosecuted while serving as Vice President because of the immunity he enjoyed at the time.

He said former President Olusegun Obasanjo had once called for an investigation into Atiku, stressing that money that left Nigeria and moved to global destinations passed through various companies he was affiliated with.

According to him, the United States, in its own wisdom, did a fantastic job investigating the matter, adding that millions of dollars moved through different banks.

“He was a Vice President, so because of the immunity he enjoyed at the time, they could not prosecute him or take the matter to court. All they could do was investigate the subject matter.

“It is so sad that when we begin to ask why now, why not yesterday. That is not the point of contention. That is not the main issue. I want us to look at the subject matter.

“The fact remains that I did not initiate this investigation, neither am I the one that wrote a petition many years ago against our former Vice President. Until proven guilty, you are innocent.

“The ‘why now’, I think, is not the question that should be posed. I think that question should be posed to the EFCC. Why have they not lived up to the expectation that a matter that was investigated, a job well done by them under the leadership of the former chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, is lingering? The report is mind-boggling.

“That question is why have they not done what they ought to do? When we go out there, go to prisons today, you see people who stole N10,000 languishing in jail. Those who have robbed this country because of immunity, impunity, licence to steal, to rob the Nigerian people. How did we get here? Why now is not the subject matter. Why has this matter not been looked into?” he queried.

DAILY POST recalls that Agbonayinma recently called on the EFCC to reopen and prosecute a case of alleged financial crimes involving Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

EFCC given ultimatum to reopen case, prosecute Atiku over alleged financial crimes

In a letter sent through one of his lawyers, Hannibal Uwaifo of Sagitarian Law Firm, Agbonayinma gave the EFCC 14 days to act on the request.