Agency says leak has damaged probe of high-profile individuals

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has decried the consequences of a recent leak that revealed the agencys investigations into a host of high profile individuals in the country.

While reacting to the leak on Wednesday, September 6, 2017, the spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, said some of the cases under investigation have been compromised by the action.

He said "Indeed, much damage has been done to the commission's investigation activities by this leak especially as some of the cases mentioned are still at preliminary stages of investigation."

The leak indicated that 106 cases are under investigation and several others pending in court, naming Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose; ex-Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; as well as Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

ALSO READ: Akpabio, Fayose, Okonjo-Iweala, 21 others under EFCC's probe

Uwujaren denied that Justice Onnoghen is under any sort of investigation by the agency and said the inclusion of his name in the leak is merely mischief making.

He said, "The mastermind of this leak is out to create disaffection between the commission and, particularly, the judiciary. The commission wishes to state categorically that it is currently not investigating Justices Onnoghen and Kafarati.

"While Onnoghen was being considered for his present position, the commission received some petitions which were investigated and found to be without merit and discarded."

He also denied the report that the leak was from an EFCC insider, saying, "It is important to state that this report did not emanate from the EFCC and the allusion to 'an EFCC source' is diversionary and mischievous.

"For the avoidance of doubt, cases under investigation communicated to the office of the attorney-general of the federation by the commission are classified information and it is troubling how such would be leaked to the media."

Other high profile names on the list include: Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, former PDP chairman, Ali Modu Sherriff; ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke; ex-Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah; aides of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe and Dr. Reuben Abati; as well as incoming Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdu Kafarati.