ALLEGED CORRUPTION;YOU LACK POWERS TO DEMAND MAGU'S PROBE-COURT TELLS WHISTLEBLOWER B

Alleged corruption: You lack power to demand Magu’s probe – Court tells whistleblower

IBRAHIM MAGU

An FCT High Court sitting in Jabi has told a whistleblower and lawyer, George Uboh, and his organization, George Uboh Whistleblower Network, that they lack the legal capacity to decide for the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, who to prosecute.

The plaintiffs with suit number M/4853/17 had sought an order to compel the AGF to investigate Acting-chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu and his predecessors in office for alleged corruption.

Justice Abba-Bello Muhammad, struck out the application after listening to the submission of the applicants’ counsel, Mr Frank Tietie.

According to the judge, the applicants have no power under the provisions of the
law to decide for the AGF who to prosecute.

“I have examined the application of the applicants seeking an order of the court to commence an action of mandamus on the respondents.“Applicant must have a locus standi before such an application can be granted,’’ the judge said.

According to Muhammad, a private legal practitioner has no locus standi to compel the AGF to prosecute a person.

The judge added that Section 383 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) was specific on when a private legal practitioner could compel the AGF to investigate an individual.

The applicants had prayed the court, to exercise its powers under Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution and order the AGF to investigate and prosecute former and present EFCC chairmen.

Those listed for investigation were Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Mrs Farida Waziri, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, Ibrahim Magu and Access Bank Plc.

They averred that the EFCC chairmen were fraudulent, and refused to account for recovered money in accordance with Section 15, 16, and 17 of the EFCC Act.

The plaintiffs said that the respondent owed them a duty to prosecute the EFCC chairman. They said that available evidence showed that Ribadu, Waziri, Lamorde, Magu and Access Bank had committed; “serious acts of fraud and corruption.”