Dare Babalola
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sounded a warning, alerting the public to planned smear campaigns by politicians and groups with stakes in ongoing investigations or prosecutions.
The EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, warning that some disgruntled elements have recruited a group of paid agents to launch smear campaigns through sponsored media attacks, aimed at undermining the commission’s ongoing investigations and prosecutions.
“The attack is targeting the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, and the institution with phantom allegations of political bias in the execution of the commission’s mandate.
“Their objective is to befuddle the work of the commission and, through scaremongering, intimidate the commission into a timid mode,” he said.
The EFCC spokesman said the essence was to make the commission afraid of investigating opposition politicians for fear of being labelled partisan.
He said the campaign was likely to intensify as the political space becomes charged in the months leading to the 2027 general election.
“The commission wishes to put those recruited into this ignoble enterprise on notice that their activities are under close watch.
“The EFCC will not tolerate any attempt to distract it from the patriotic task of improving public accountability in Nigeria. It reiterates its non-political stance in all its activities,” he said.
Oyewale said any political actor, whether in the ruling party or opposition party, with corruption baggage has no hiding place from the operational radar and dynamics of the commission.
“As a matter of fact, several strong members of the ruling and opposition parties are either facing trial before the courts or being investigated by the commission.
“Nigerians need to appreciate the fact that the commission is keeping faith with its Establishment Act in all its operations.
“Commentaries about the presumption of innocence of a defendant in court are in line with the provisions of the Constitution and not intended as defence of any individual or group,” he said.
He said the commission had no alliance or working relationship with any political party, noting that all these facts were unassailable.
He said the EFCC would not be pressured or blackmailed into making public disclosures of politically exposed persons being investigated for alleged corruption cases.
“The EFCC reiterates its commitment to justice, without fear or favour, in the fulfilment of its mandate.”
