Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has warned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to desist from media trial and always ensure thorough investigation of cases before going to the press.
AYCF in a statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, said the recent allegations against Governor Mohammed Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state, designed to trend in the media without critical investigation, amounts to harassment of the Governor especially considering the way his company, “Belsha Printing Press was shut down without full investigation”.
“We have been following closely the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s hasty moves to nail another Northern Governor, Mohammed Bello Matawalle. We feel duly concerned to call out the EFCC, led by Abdurrashid Bawa to desist from this repeated embarrassment of starting what it cannot finish.
“The current case of Zamfara state Governor, Mohammed Bello Matawalle is unacceptable, a smear on decorum and misapplication of the instruments of checkmating official corruption. That the Governor is insisting that his residence should be searched by the EFCC means he has nothing to hide and that the agency has not done its homework well. This is worrisome and a repeat will have dire consequences for Nigeria’s image.
“EFCC should strive to project its original image of an agency meant to fight corruption using instrumentality of the law, under a democratic atmosphere. The agency should always do their homework well before making their presence in the media on any matter. The EFCC Chairman should bear in mind that we are, as citizens and activists, watching the activities of the EFCC and rating their performance as an institution of public service.
“We totally reject the strategy of media trial because it downgrades not just the operational standards of the agency but it amounts to deliberate policy of intimidation. In a democratic setting such as Nigeria’s, the Rule of Law is an essential ingredient because it strengthens the constitutional rights and privileges of all Nigerians, unlike in a military dictatorship.
“It is interesting to us as a group to know why those targeted for media trial are Northerners. Why should this selective approach be seen in an agency that is supposed to be national in outlook? We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to call him to order. We know the President’s respect for law and order, and we are sure he wouldn’t want this contemptuous attitude of the EFCC Chairman to undermine the image of the current administration,” the statement said.
