A group, the National Association of Post-Graduate Forum, has described the re-arraignment of former Kogi State Governor, Prince Abubakar Audu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on same corruption charge as an abuse of court processes.
The forum’s national secretary, Mr. Matthew Abraham, flayed the anti- graft commission for re-arraigning the former governor over same corruption charge. Abraham told journalists at the weekend in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, that Audu was being tried for similar corruption charge in various courts of competent jurisdiction in Abuja and Kogi, adding that his re-arraignment amounted to an affront on democracy and the rule of law. He said the same corruption case is currently before Justice S.T. Husseini of High Court IV in Lokoja.
Abraham said that Audu’s re-arraignment on similar charges before an Abuja High Court was an “infringement on the former governor’s fundamental rights in a country that preaches adherence to the rule of law.”
He, therefore, urged the EFCC to act within the ambit of the law and prosecute their cases honestly and diligently and avoid being used to settle political scores. Abraham said: “We equally want to use this medium to appeal to the Presidency and the National Assembly not to allow the EFCC to be used to derail or cause confusion that might affect the peaceful march to 2015 general election.”
It will be recalled that EFCC first arraigned Audu before Justice Michael Medupin (rtd) in 2007, alleging that the former governor embezzled N5.1 billion between 1999 and 2003 when he was in office.
