EFCC Urged to Probe Financial Transactions of Officials Who Served Under Buhari – Olajengbesi

A human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has called for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of the financial transactions of all officials who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement on Friday, Olajengbesi commended the EFCC for exposing the alleged forgery of President Buhari’s signature and that of ex-Secretary General of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, by the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele is currently embroiled in a $6.2 million fraud case involving foreign observers in the last poll.

The lawyer emphasized the need for the EFCC to extend its investigation beyond Emefiele and probe all principal actors who served under the previous administration.

“The audacity of those in power and their criminal influence is becoming too much and must be stopped,” Olajengbesi said.

The lawyer also pointed out the recent case of the suspended Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, Ahmad Salihijo, who is being investigated for alleged N1.2 billion fraud.

“Emefiele and all those who served under the Buhari administration should be properly audited and given a chance to clear their names as the corruption that manifested under that government is gargantuan,” Olajengbesi added.

The trial of Emefiele has seen three witnesses testify against him so far, including an EFCC official and a forensic document examiner, Bamaiyi Haruna, who confirmed that the documents used to release $6.2 million from the CBN in February 2023 were forged.

The other witness, ex-SGF Mustapha, also stated that neither he nor former President Buhari were aware of the $6.2 million, and that Emefiele had forged the president’s signature to move the money out.

The EFCC has charged Emefiele with 20 counts of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretense, with the trial still ongoing.

The call for a thorough audit of officials who served under the previous administration highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s political landscape.