₦airaland Forum

What sort of judgment and justice can be so selective that one man would die in prison while others, who stole more than him, are walking free and even thinking of becoming ministers?

By EFCC's Ribadu, I am referring to Nuhu Ribadu, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) helmsman. The EFCC is the anti-graft body set up by erstwhile Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo to tackle graft but it ended up as his toy, tackling his enemies - imaginary and otherwise and championing his third term agenda by remote. For anything that has to do with President Obasanjo always had a sinister agenda. The rest as they say is history.

Corruption in Nigeria has reached a crescendo, has reached a point of no return. Everything in Nigeria is corrupt, drinking water is corrupt, the air is corrupted, and even foetuses are corrupt. President Olusegun Obasanjo in an attempt to tackle this corruption set up the EFCC but this process as can now be seen was corrupt. Not all Nigerians are corrupt, there are but decent Nigerians in all endeavours of life, there are Nigerians that have and will sacrifice their lives for the betterment of the country. These decent Nigerians lauded the establishment of EFCC; this lauding I had always believed was a bit premature, for EFCC was yet to prove its mettle. But in the euphoria of fighting corruption, tackling the beast heads on for once, these decent Nigerians dropped their guard. How can anything good come from President Olusegun Obasanjo? A seventy something year old election rigger.

Since nothing good can come from President Obasanjo, I had my reservations about EFCC as headed by Nuhu Ribadu. Ribadu started by making noises here and there, started by making some high profile arrests, which at the end of the day amounted to nothing but a slap on the wrist like the conviction of Tafa Balogun, the former Inspector General of Police. Ribadu at a time blamed the law courts for frustrating his efforts in sanitising the country. Again, the rest as they say is history.

A couple of cases deepened this reservation I had about Ribadu, such cases include but not limited to: -


The disappearance into thing air of Obasanjo's golden boy, former Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state after impeachment till date. EFCC with all the security paraphernalia at its disposal kept mute.

The disappearance of former Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau state in Nigeria after his first impeachment. EFCC kept mute.
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The indictment of Obasanjo's right hand man, Commodore Bode George for his nefarious activities at Nigerian Ports Authority. EFCC kept mute.

Andy Uba's money laundering case with the US authorities. EFCC kept mute

Indictment of Obasanjo's cousin, Dr Julius Makanjuola for his criminal acts at the Federal Ministry of Defence. EFCC kept mute.

The removal of Obasanjo's acolytes from the names of EFCC indicted politicians. Ribadu kept mute

Ribadu's naïve attempt at supporting Paul Wolfowitz, former President of the World Bank.
The list goes on and on. But one case in particular, where Nuhu Ribadu and hence EFCC kept mute that greatly deepened my reservation as to his sincerity of purpose, his devotion to duty, his allegiance to Nigeria or to Obasanjo was the electoral case between Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and Ugochukwu Uba. Ugochukwu Uba is the elder brother to Andy Uba, Obasanjo's man-Friday.

Chukwudi Nwokoye writing in Nigeriaworld.com on Saturday June 02, 2007 graphically presented the case as below: -

"We have also not forgotten that in 2003, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu contested and won the Anambra South Senatorial Election as he was on the ballot as the candidate of PDP. However, when the result was released by INEC, his name got replaced by Dr. Ugochukwu Uba. Same fate was suffered by Chief (Mrs) Joy Emordi (Anambra North) and Chief Ben Obi (Anambra Central).
All three of them proceeded to the Election Tribunal and won after a very rigorous challenge. When their cases went to the Court of Appeal, both Chief Joy Emordi and Chief Ben Obi won their cases. However, Dr. Ugochukwu Uba appealed to the Court of Appeal against the judgment obtained by Ukachukwu. Meanwhile, Dr. Ugochukwu Uba had been sworn in as a Senator. The matter came before the Court of Appeal of three Justices: Hon. Justice Okwuchukwu Opene, Hon. Justice David Adedoyin Adeniji and Hon. Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs who disagreed among themselves. Two of the Justices Hon. Justice Okwuchukwu Opene and Hon. Justice David Adedoyin Adeniji gave judgment to Dr. Ugochukwu Uba and the third Justice, Hon. Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs, the youngest of them disagreed and dissented and gave judgment to Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu. After the appeal, the National Judicial Council (NJC) received petitions that two of the three Justices took bribe.

The National Judicial Council established under Section 153 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 set up a committee headed by late Justice Kolawole a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal. After a thorough investigation by the Committee it was found that Justice Okwuchukwu Opene who presided at the Court of Appeal took a bribe of N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen million Naira) and Justice David Adedoyin Adeniji took a bribe of N12,000,000.00 (Twelve million Naira) and three unascertained Ghana-must-Go bags. To this date, it was only the takers of the bribe that suffered consequences as they had their careers as justices ruined and their good names ruined. The givers of the bribe still walk free. Even the beneficiary of the judgment, Dr. Ugochukwu Uba, is still serving as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and still has until 3rd June to complete a mandate stolen from Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu."

That two Appeal Court Judges were sanctioned and retired by the National Judicial Council for receiving bribe whereas EFCC did nothing to the giver of the bribe till date showed that Ribadu is a compromised umpire. The man Ribadu is a Nigerian after all, Obasanjo's hatchet man and nothing else. Hence my deep reservation about him.

To further strengthen my reserved views on Ribadu, the man who was threatening hellfire to governors (once they loose their immunity) like a medieval theologian of the fire and brimstone variety to now being having negotiated settlements with them says it all. I do not know any where in the world where criminals are offered negotiated settlements except in Ribadu's Nigeria.

Nuhu Ribadu, Odenigbo's reservation all this time about you and your intentions have been proved right, please go like your master, Obasanjo. Nigeria deserves better if that war against corruption must be won. Otherwise, it is business as usual.

I know why you are celebrating

But you might be celebrating just too early.

if all the 35 govs have vision just like Duke and steal just like him wouldn't it be better?

That nobody means well afterall and so there is no way out.