Saraki: Justice Umar can’t be prosecuted, EFCC insists

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reaffirmed its position that the allegations against the CCT Chairman Justice Umar Danladi are suspicious and insufficient, so he cannot be prosecuted.

The commission stated this Wednesday in a letter addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal.

The letter referenced EFCC/P/NHRU/688/V.30/99, and dated April 20, 2016 was signed by the secretary to the commission, Emmanuel Aremo.

Umar was being cleared the second time after the anti-graft body carried out an investigation on the petitions against the tribunal chairman. The first time was March.

Ibraheem Al-hassan, the head of CCT public relations, who revealed the details of the letter in a statement, said the EFCC was responding to the conclusion of a petition against Mr. Umar that he allegedly received a N10 million bribe from one Abdulrashid Owolabi.

‘‘We would like to reiterate the Commission’s position in regard to this matter as earlier communicated to you and stated that the allegations leveled against Justice Umar were mere suspicious and consequently insufficient to successfully prosecute the offence,” he said, quoting the EFCC letter.

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The spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the letter.

The petitioner, Abdulrashid, is a member of the Anti-corruption Network, an NGO founded by Sen. Dino Melaye, a crony of Sen. President Bukola Saraki facing trial before the tribunal on a 13-count charge of false asset declaration when he was governor.

The petition was among the efforts Bukola has made to truncate his trial since hearing began last September. He has also gone to court six times claiming rights violation and lack of jurisdiction and authorities by the CCT, the attorney-general of the federation, and Umar.

AGF Abubakar Malami also said last December there was no “material fact” to put Mr. Umar on trial

The EFCC, however, noted there was prima facie evidence to prosecute Umar’s personal assistant “who could offer no coherent excuse for receiving N1.8 million naira into his salary account from Taiwo who is an accused person standing trial at the Tribunal.”