The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun mass investigations of governors and their deputies, many of whom will leave office and lose constitutional immunity from prosecution in a few days’ time, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report.
An exclusive memo obtained by this medium shows the anti-corruption agency is beaming its searchlight on at least 28 governors and their deputies. Nigeria has 36 states governed with each governed by a governor and a deputy governor.
At least 18 of the governors with their deputies targeted for investigations by EFCC are preparing to leave office when they will complete their second terms in office on 29 May.
One is leaving office on the same date after completing a term, while 10 others, who recently won their second term elections, are expected to remain in office for the next four years.
In what signals a broad range investigation of the public officers, EFCC has requested their assets declaration forms from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), a recent official communication between the two agencies obtained by PREMIUM TIMES shows.
Details of the cases EFCC has against the officials are not immediately clear, but the commission said in its letter addressed to the chairperson of CCB, Mohammed Isah, that it needs the asset declaration documents to facilitate an ongoing investigation involving them.
“This commission is investigating a case in which persons listed in the attached schedule. featured,” read the EFCC’s letter dated 11 April and signed by an official on behalf of the EFCC’s chair, Abduralsheed Bawa.
Credit: premiumtimesng.com
