The Zamfara State Government and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state are jointly demanding an apology from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following the removal of a false post containing corruption allegations against Governor Dauda Lawal.
The State PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Aliyu Bello Oondo, issued a statement expressing the government’s and party’s insistence on accountability.
Over the weekend, the EFCC shared misleading information on its official Instagram handle, falsely associating Governor Dauda Lawal with former Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke in a $9 billion corruption scandal.
But despite the hasty removal of the inaccurate news, the EFCC has not provided any explanation or offered an apology for the confusion it caused among the public.
In response, the Zamfara State chapter of the PDP voiced strong disapproval of the EFCC’s actions and called for an immediate disclaimer and apology. Bello reiterated that Governor Dauda Lawal had been acquitted of all corruption charges by Nigeria’s Supreme Court on March 12, 2021.
Expressing disappointment in the EFCC’s oversight, Alhaji Oando emphasized that the Supreme Court had dismissed the EFCC’s appeal against Governor Dauda Lawal in 2021, leading to the release of the previously seized N9,080,000,000.00.
Oando explained that the unanimous judgment delivered by the five-man bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Muhammad Lawal Garba, overturned the decisions of the Federal High Court and ordered the return of the funds to the appellant.
“The above Judgment given by the Supreme Court of Nigeria finally and conclusively brings to a close the malicious persecution by the EFCC against Dr. Dauda Lawal,” stated Oando, highlighting the unfounded allegations of money laundering and obtaining unlawful proceeds initiated by the EFCC in May 2016.
The Publicity Secretary insisted that merely pulling down the fake story was insufficient. He called on the anti-corruption body to issue a formal disclaimer and promptly apologize for the unprofessionalism displayed, emphasizing the avoidable and costly nature of the misinformation.
