Human Right Watch Faults Efcc Competence On Corruption

Nigeria's anti-corruption agency 'falling far short

LAGOS — Nigeria's main anti-corruption agency has been hobbled by incompetence, internal graft allegations and suspicions of political interference, according to a report by Human Rights Watch released Thursday.
The report examining the work of the country's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) paints a bleak picture when it comes to prosecuting high-profile politicians in one of the world's most graft-ridden nations.
It says the commission has only managed four convictions of nationally prominent political figures since it was established in December 2002, and those convicted have faced little or no prison time.
"Other senior political figures who have been widely implicated in corruption have not been prosecuted," the report says.
"Despite its promise, the EFCC has fallen far short of its potential and eight years after its inception is left with a battered reputation and an uncertain record of accomplishment."
The US-based rights group also points out that the commission faces enormous obstacles in carrying out its work in Nigeria, where corruption is deeply rooted and part of everyday life in all levels of society.
"At a fundamental level, Nigeria?s political system continues to reward rather than punish corruption," it says of Africa's most populous nation and the continent's largest oil producer.
It restates the claim by former EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu that more than $380 billion was lost to graft and mismanagement from independence in 1960 to the end of military rule in 1999.
Eric Guttschuss, the rights group's Nigeria researcher, cited the case of prominent ruling party figure Bode George while addressing journalists at the launch of the report in Lagos.
George, who was also chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, was the only one of the four nationally prominent EFCC convictions to be obtained at trial, receiving a sentence of two-and-a-half years in prison. The other EFCC convictions came through plea bargains.
But when he emerged from prison earlier this year, some of the country's top politicians welcomed him back.
"The positive example of his conviction was diminished however when he was treated to a rapturous reception by key ruling party figures, including ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, who ironically established the EFCC," he said.
The report makes reference to graft allegations against the EFCC under the current chairwoman, Farida Waziri, as well as the widespread perception that she has been ineffective.
It says it could find no concrete evidence of corruption, but calls for President Goodluck Jonathan's administration to examine Waziri's performance.
Reacting to the report, EFCC spokesman Femi Babafemi said its finding that the commission has secured only four convictions of high-profile political figures was too narrow.
He argued that certain convictions of business people as well as heads of state agencies should also qualify as high-profile, pointing in particular to Oceanic Bank ex-chief Cecilia Ibru.
Ibru, from one of the country's most prominent families, was sentenced to six months in prison last year and ordered to forfeit funds and assets worth some 1.2 billion dollars.
Babafemi declined to comment in detail on the internal graft allegations, saying they were rumours with no proof.
"Some of these allegations are made by people who are either being investigated by the commission or made by people who have one grievance or another against the commission," he told AFP.

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yeah it has being fallen ever since ribadu was showed the way out, and since obasanjo even left aso-rock
even tho, those huge funds recovered back then cant be accounted for
waziri should be shown the way out, and sum1 else, hardworking, and heartless should be brought in, sadly no one can be brought it right now
even the useless fed govt is not helping matters! incompetency of THE GOVTS, incompetency of federal AGENCIES, incompetency of everything, damn! naija matter don tire person
PHCN, PLEASE HOLD CANDLE NOW
EFCC, EVERYBODY FREE CORRUPTS COHORT

Badluck Jonathan is surely fighting corruption. . . .not!

Nobody is fighting anybody, who is clean should cast the first stone

what is EFCC??

What shld one have excepted? Dis is 9ja wher anytin goes. Or do you except d so called EFCC to bite d hands dat feed them?

EFCC, hahaha, toothless Bull Dog, alwayz gaining point by persecuting the less privilaged. All the money OBJ & Atiku embezzeled, they wia neva 4 one day called upon 4 probe, Atiku even went on 2 say dat him and OBJ squandered the PTF in the excess on trillions of Dollars, not even a muscle was flexed by EFCC, they remain dormant like a man who is caught by the Scrotal sac, the day Nigerians will start appreciating all our anti-corruption agencies, be it EFCC or ICPC or anything, is wen dey arain OBJ and his cohorts and sentence dem 2 life in prisonment, no no, sentence dem 2 death by hot BOILING OIL, i rest my case.

The judiciary is the problem, when all these thieves are caught, they opt for plea bargain and get off the hook! Also, instead of the NBA to help matters, they are poking their nose when they have bigger problems, a man will steal billions of naira and then go and assemble 10 SANs as a legal team, while the prosecutors are mostly weak, eventually, the thieves win in court, corrupt people should be treated like terrorists are treated in the united states, where they have no human rights! Even the youths and so-called elders are not helping matters, bankole stole N40 billion and yoruba elders gave him their full backing, ibori stole £196 million and urhobo youths are protesting his trial in london, i am sure if n igbo man steals, ohaneze will come out, if an hausa man steals, Arewa will also show face. Pls Nigerians, let justice prevail, do away with ethnic chauvinism!

gokuu:

The judiciary is the problem, when all these thieves are caught, they opt for plea bargain and get off the hook! Also, instead of the NBA to help matters, they are poking their nose when they have bigger problems, a man will steal billions of naira and then go and assemble 10 SANs as a legal team, while the prosecutors are mostly weak, eventually, the thieves win in court, corrupt people should be treated like terrorists are treated in the united states, where they have no human rights! Even the youths and so-called elders are not helping matters, bankole stole N40 billion and yoruba elders gave him their full backing, ibori stole £196 million and urhobo youths are protesting his trial in london, i am sure if n igbo man steals, ohaneze will come out, if an hausa man steals, Arewa will also show face. Pls Nigerians, let justice prevail, do away with ethnic chauvinism!

I agree with you. Our judiciary system is very corrupt and the high judges should be ashamed. Bode George was just give less than three years for stealing 85 billion naira. What has happened to Cecilia Ibru and the likes ?

EFCC also has its incompetence but the judges have not helped the way they should.