Some legal practitioners in Nigeria have submitted a complaint against Olanipekun Olukoyede, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to international bodies including the United Nations and the United Kingdom.
During a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the lawyers accused Olukoyede of ignoring court orders and violating the constitutional rights of citizens.
Emmanuel Agada, speaking at the event, mentioned that steps to impose a visa ban on Olukoyede are underway if he persists in violating citizens’ rights, citing the treatment of former Governor Yahaya Bello as an example.
The lawyers are also contemplating halting international financial aid to the EFCC if Olukoyede maintains his current course of action.
The group expressed their vision for a judiciary that upholds justice visibly and independently. The lawyers said they have approached various international entities to address the alleged neglect of court orders and constitutional breaches by Olukoyede.
The legal practitioners highlighted their appeal to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and prevent the EFCC chairman from using his position for political ends, which could tarnish the government’s reputation.
“It is in the pursuit of this mandate that we have written to the United Nations High Commission For Human Rights, the United States of America, through its embassy in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, through its Nigerian embassy and the European Union as bastions of democracy and Human Rights to investigate the flagrant disregard of a valid Court Order and breach of constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens by the EFCC chairman, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede and caution him.
“As you know, we have already written to Mr. President who has started on a good trajectory and began to enjoy the massive support of overwhelming majority of Nigerians, to call the EFCC chairman in order not to allow his desperation to use the institution to pursue political objectives to bring this administration to public odium and opprobrium,” the lawyers said.
“In our petition to the above mentioned bodies, we were strong in our call for the EFCC chairman to be cautioned and should he continue to disregard Court Orders and Injunctions, and trample on the rights of Nigerian citizens, the way he did against former Governor Yahaya Bello, a comprehensive and total Visa Ban must be implemented and international organizations who support the commission via funding must be enjoined to stop forthwith until the commission purges itself of every unconstitutional approach in exercising their constitutional mandate,” they added.
They acknowledged the role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in supporting human rights initiatives and have sought their assistance to reinforce institutions and protect the rights and dignity of Nigerian citizens.
They concluded with a call for decisive action to improve the country and its institutions, emphasising the lawyers’ commitment to advocating for judicial respect and the establishment of robust institutions free from political or social influence.
