The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has demanded an apology from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged fake story against the governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal.
On Saturday, the anti-graft agency posted a story on its official Instagram handle that associated Mr Lawal with former minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke’s $9 billion corruption.
But few minutes later, the post was pulled down from the handle without explanation or retraction from the commission.
However, in a statement issued by the Zamfara State publicity secretary of the PDP, Abba Bello, the party expressed disappointment in the EFCC for allowing fake news to be published on its platform.
He noted that Mr Lawal has been discharged and acquitted of all corruption charges by the Supreme Court on March 12, 2021.
He said: “The five-man bench of the apex court led by Justice Muhammad Lawal Garba, in a unanimous judgement, dismissed the appeal filed by EFCC against the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which, among other things, ordered that the decisions of the Federal High Court, Coram Judice: Hassan, J. delivered in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/13/2017 on February 16, 2017 are hereby set aside.
“The final forfeiture order of N9,080,000,000.00 to the Federal Government of Nigeria is hereby set aside. It is hereby ordered that the N9,080,000,000.00 be returned to the appellant.
“The above judgement delivered by the Court of Appeal Lagos Division was in Appeal No. CA/LAG/CV/480/2019, DAUDA LAWAL v. EFCC & ANOR, dated March 25, 2020.
“The Supreme Court judgement which unanimously affirmed and upheld the above decision of the Court of Appeal is Appeal No: SC.212/2020, EFCC v. Dauda Lawal.
“By this final judgement of the Supreme Court, the Apex Court has conclusively upheld, affirmed, and determined that the Order of Final Forfeiture of the sum of N9,080,000,000.00 made against Dauda Lawal is set aside and rescinded and that the said sum of N9,080,000,000.00 is returned to Dauda Lawal forthwith.
“The above judgement given by the Supreme Court of Nigeria finally and conclusively brings to a close the malicious persecution by the EFCC against Dr Dauda Lawal, which began in May 2016 when the EFCC invented the unfounded allegation of money laundering and obtaining monies suspected of being proceeds of unlawful activity against Dauda Lawal.
“It is also worthy of note that by a final judgement dated October 7, 2020, the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, discharged and acquitted Dr. Dauda Lawal of the offences of money laundering, obtaining monies suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, and the other unsubstantiated charges brought against him by the EFCC in Charge No. FHC/L/419C/2018, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA V. Dauda Lawal,” he said.
Mr Bello added that pulling down the fake story is not sufficient.
“The anti-corruption body should issue a disclaimer and promptly apologise for this avoidable and costly unprofessionalism,” he said.
