Pelumi Olajengbesi, a prominent figure in the legal field and a human rights advocate, is calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to undertake a thorough investigation into the conduct of former cabinet members and appointees during President Muhammadu Buhari’s term.
Buhari, who held the presidency until recently, completed two consecutive terms spanning eight years, from 2015 to 2023.
Managing Partner of Abuja-based Law Corridor, Pelumi Olajengbesi, underscored the critical need for the probe in response to the alarming revelations exposed during the trial of former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, as stated in a press release on Friday.
He stressed the importance of the EFCC auditing the financial activities of every government official who served during the presidency of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He also applauded the EFCC for bringing to light the purported forgery of Buhari’s and ex-Secretary General of the Federation Boss Mustapha’s signatures by the embattled former head of the central bank, currently implicated in a $6.2 million fraud case, which attracted the attention of international observers during the recent poll.
Olajengbesi said, “The audacity of those in power and their criminal influence is becoming too much and must be stopped.
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“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.
“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.”
As of the moment, three witnesses have given testimony against Emefiele, including the latest witness, Bamaiyi Haruna, an EFCC official and forensic document examiner.
Haruna revealed to the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama on Thursday that his examination of certain documents used to release $6.2 million from the CBN in February 2023 indicated that they were forged.
The second witness, former SGF Mustapha, testified in court that neither he nor ex-President Buhari were aware of the $6.2 million, further stating that Buhari’s signature was forged to authorize the transfer of the funds. The third witness, Onyeka Ogbu, a deputy director at the apex bank, also provided testimony.
Emefiele was arraigned by the EFCC on June 18, 2023, on amended charges, which included 20 counts. He was accused of impersonating Mustapha in order to illegally move $6.2 million from the CBN vault.
The EFCC’s charges detailed that on February 8, 2023, Emefiele collaborated with Odoh Ocheme, who is currently evading arrest, to procure $6.2 million from the CBN, asserting that it was requested by the SGF through a letter dated January 26, 2023, with Reference Number SGF.43/L.01/.