August 16, 2017
PRESS RELEASE
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, unequivocally condemns the attack by unidentified gunmen on the Headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in Abuja earlier this morning.
The EFCC HQ located at Wuse Zone 7, Abuja in the early hours of Wednesday a very audacious attack by gunmen. The armed men were reported to have struck at about 5.00am shooting indiscriminately into the premises of the Commission, damaging vehicles and other properties in the process. The attackers while fleeing from counter-attack put up by EFCC’s security left behind an envelope which contained a death threat addressed to Ishaku Sharu, a senior investigator who heads the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud Section in charge of corruption investigation involving several politically exposed persons and retired military men.
Mr. Debo Adeniran, the Executive Chairman of CACOL condemned the attack with serious vehemence, saying the Federal Government must not under any circumstance allow its anti-corruption agenda to be derailed and should not submit to the intimidation of pro-corruption elements.
He said “The forces of retrogression; agents of pro-corruption have obviously become extremely desperate in their fight-back against the present anti-corruption drive by abandoning the hitherto covert methods they have been using to frustrate the anti-graft efforts for violent and boldfaced confrontations.”
“No further evidence is needed to validate the reality of the fact that corruption is fighting back than this murderous act targeted at the EFCC by apparently incurably corrupt elements that are hell-bent on shielding themselves from justice for their roles in perpetrating corrupt practices and perpetuating corruption with impunity in Nigeria.”
“Let us note that it was only a few weeks ago that another investigator with the EFCC, Austin Okwor was shot and wounded by unknown assailants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Thus, the FG must within its strategies for combating corruption consciously consider and prepare for the fight-back against anti-corruption. The lives and properties of all anti-graft agencies and agents must be formidably protected; adequate security must be consistently maintained in all anti-graft operations. Ishaku Sharu in particular, who has been directly singled as a target must be protected by all means necessary.”
“This desperate attack must be immediately investigated by the Police in collaboration with other relevant security agencies; the dare-devil attackers must be fished out for prosecution for their murderous act, their sponsors must be identified and made to face the wrath of the law.”
“Nigerians must rise in unison to condemn the dastardly act as it portends no good for the anti-corruption fight and the country itself.” Adeniran concluded.
Add Comment