December 30, 2008
Former EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, today reappeared in Abuja and created a ruckus at the headquarters of the EFCC when he made a surprise appearance there.
EFCC sources told SaharaReporters that Ribadu presented himself at their office around 2: 00 PM (Nigerian local time) in a move that surprised everyone.
After checking in at the gate of the commission, Ribadu reportedly headed straight for the office of the Chair, Mrs. Farida Waziri, for a meeting. Our sources said that Mrs. Waziri was absent from her desk. We were unable to ascertain whether the EFCC chair tactically avoided Ribadu. The commission’s summons to Ribadu to appear in their offices had generated much bad blood leading Ribadu to seek a court injunction restraining the agency from arresting him. Civil rights advocates as well as transparency groups had also questioned the commission’s strategy to hound Ribadu and to plant reports in the local press falsely alleging that he owns expensive property in the UK and other countries.
Ribadu was said to have met with the commission’s secretary. He reportedly waited for about an hour because all other officials at the EFCC told him it was "Madam" Waziri alone who could explain why the agency asked him to present himself. The commission’s head of operations, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, was also absent from office during Ribadu's visit.
Saharareporters made repeated phone calls to the EFCC spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, to ask why the EFCC chair was not available to meet with Ribadu, but he did not pick our calls. He also failed to respond to our text messages on the issue.
Ribadu's reappearance today in Abuja has put paid to speculations in the Nigerian media that he has left Nigeria and gone on exile as threats against his life mounted from all angles.
Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro and a few other top brass of the Nigerian Police Force have led a campaign to harass Ribadu and possibly drive him from the police force. Okiro is believed to be taking instructions from disgraced former and serving governors led by former Governor James Ibori of Delta State and Bukola Saraki, the current governor of Kwara State.
The former and serving public officials were the targets of money laundering investigations or prosecution when Ribadu ran the EFCC. A coalition of these indicted officials sponsored Mrs. Waziri to replace Ribadu as head of the anti-corruption agency.
EFCC sources told SaharaReporters that Ribadu presented himself at their office around 2: 00 PM (Nigerian local time) in a move that surprised everyone.
After checking in at the gate of the commission, Ribadu reportedly headed straight for the office of the Chair, Mrs. Farida Waziri, for a meeting. Our sources said that Mrs. Waziri was absent from her desk. We were unable to ascertain whether the EFCC chair tactically avoided Ribadu. The commission’s summons to Ribadu to appear in their offices had generated much bad blood leading Ribadu to seek a court injunction restraining the agency from arresting him. Civil rights advocates as well as transparency groups had also questioned the commission’s strategy to hound Ribadu and to plant reports in the local press falsely alleging that he owns expensive property in the UK and other countries.
Ribadu was said to have met with the commission’s secretary. He reportedly waited for about an hour because all other officials at the EFCC told him it was "Madam" Waziri alone who could explain why the agency asked him to present himself. The commission’s head of operations, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, was also absent from office during Ribadu's visit.
Saharareporters made repeated phone calls to the EFCC spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, to ask why the EFCC chair was not available to meet with Ribadu, but he did not pick our calls. He also failed to respond to our text messages on the issue.
Ribadu's reappearance today in Abuja has put paid to speculations in the Nigerian media that he has left Nigeria and gone on exile as threats against his life mounted from all angles.
Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro and a few other top brass of the Nigerian Police Force have led a campaign to harass Ribadu and possibly drive him from the police force. Okiro is believed to be taking instructions from disgraced former and serving governors led by former Governor James Ibori of Delta State and Bukola Saraki, the current governor of Kwara State.
The former and serving public officials were the targets of money laundering investigations or prosecution when Ribadu ran the EFCC. A coalition of these indicted officials sponsored Mrs. Waziri to replace Ribadu as head of the anti-corruption agency.
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