EFCC May Push For Trial Of Senate President's Wife, Others

Apparently to prove that it is serious in tackling endemic graft in the country, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to charge to court several politically-exposed persons said to have plundered the nation while in service.

Vanguard learnt that although President Muhammadu Buhari had not instructed the EFCC to push the anti-corruption war harder than it was doing before he came on board, the commission had taken it upon itself to bring to justice top Nigerians who had earlier been shielded from prosecution because of their influence in the country.

A top source in the commission told Vanguard last night that it was preparing to charge some of the individuals who were recently interrogated by agents of the agency.

The source said that the commission had established prima facie cases against many of those recently questioned and that it was only a matter of time before they face trial to prove their innocence or otherwise.

The source said: “We are set to prosecute some of those who were interrogated by our agents so that the world can see how innocent or otherwise they are.

“Like we did to some of the former governors who were taken to court last month, many of those we interrogated lately, will soon appear in court to account for their actions while in office,” the official said.

Asked to name those whose case files were ready, the official declined to be specific, saying that once the agency was set for court, Nigerians would get to know the identities of the suspects.

Among those who appeared before the commission’s agents last week were the wife of Senate  President, Tosin Saraki, and the daughter of late president Umaru Yar’Adua, Zainab Dakingari, who are being probed by the agency for allegedly using companies close to them to funnel government funds when they were First Ladies in Kwara and Kebbi states.

But while Zainab was excused by the commission to go and return this week on health grounds, Saraki stormed the commissioned with hordes of politicians, including self-styled private investigator, Senator Dino Melaye, to prove that she had no skeleton in her cupboard.

Mrs. Saraki also released a statement to the media, claiming that she would cooperate withy the EFCC to prove that the allegations made against her were false, as she did not use her companies to launder Kwara Stare funds, as claimed.

The commission also invited the former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NiMASA, Dr. Patrick Akpolobokemi, for interrogation within the week, but the outcome of the extended interrogation had not been made public as at the time of filing the report.

The People’s Democratic Party Chairman in Enugu State, Mr. Asogwa, and the former Chief of Staff to Governor Sullivan Chime, were also tackled last week by EFCC agents over alleged graft.

There are fears by the political class that the recent wave of interrogations which took on Saraki’s wife may have some political undertones aimed at getting at the husband for trying to rubbish the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress