Is EFCC bent on toeing the wrong path?

For the umpteenth time last Wednesday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was upbraided over its conduct of recent, leaving many to wonder if the anti-graft agency is bent on toeing the wrong path.

This time, Justice Peter Affren of an Abuja High Court, flayed the EFCC as “carrying too much physical power everywhere”, for the tactics it employed in trying to stall a case involving the agency and Wolfgang Wolfgang, an Austrian security contractor who sued the anti-graft agency for detaining him without trial.

Wolfgang had been in the custody of the EFCC since December 2015 in connection with the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

His lawyer, Afam Osigwe, had approached the FCT high court for the enforcement of Wolfgang’s fundamental rights, but at the hearing of the matter, the anti-graft agency through its counsel, Ibrahim Audu, told the court that it never detained the plaintiff.

Irked by the use of words of the EFCC counsel, Justice Affren berated the anti-graft agency for attempting to intimidate the court, advising it to drop its toga of arrogance.

“You are in court, and I am the dominis litis here. This is not EFCC office. You must comport yourself. The problem is that you people (EFCC) have too much physical power and you carry it to everywhere you go,” he said.

“This is not a motor park and you must not be throwing your hands anyhow and be shouting. When you come before me, you will never remain the same. You owe the court a duty of deference. Leave your policeman or EFCC powers at the door. Didn’t they teach you that in law school?”

The rebuke is one too many. Only recently, Justice Yusuf Haliru of another Abuja High Court blasted the EFCC and the Army over the detention without trial of Col. Nicholas Ashinze, a former aide to the erstwhile National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), saying they behaved like illiterates.

Other instances abound where judges have blasted the EFCC over its conduct lately. This does not speak well of the anti-graft agency.

It will therefore serve the EFCC better if its officials including those enlisted to prosecute cases refrain from acting as outlaws. This will reduce the frequency of rebukes by judges. The agency will gain more by following the due process in the fight against corruption.