EFCC’s Wanted List Under Fire: Lawyer Claims Agency Needs Court Orders.
Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lacks the legal authority to declare anyone wanted without valid court orders.
In a statement on Friday, Olajengbesi, the Managing Partner of Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, said the recurring declaration of individuals wanted by the EFCC raises concerns about the adherence to due legal processes by anti-graft agencies.
The EFCC, alongside the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) have been declaring individuals wanted without court orders, the latest in the chain being a former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, being quizzed over an alleged $6 billion power contract.
According to Olajengbesi, the publication of pictures and details of persons said to be declared wanted as practiced by agencies like the EFCC constitutes a breach of the constitutional right to the presumption of innocence and amounts to a prejudicial media trial.
Olajengbesi said the habitual issuance of public notices by the EFCC and other security agencies, labelling individuals as ‘wanted’ is unlawful and reminiscent of dictatorial tendencies from military regimes.