NAGAFF Partners SFU, In Renew War Against Corruption

Published

9 years ago

February 17, 2016

As EFCC blasts SANs, journalists for scuttling anti-graft war

National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders’ (NAGAFF) anti-corruption drive got a boost on Tuesday as the association entered into a strategic understanding with the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police, in a determined aim, to fight the menace of corruption in the ports.

The NAGAFF National Public Relations Officer, Stanley Ezenga indicated that the understanding was sealed when the NAGAFF founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam led some members of the group’s Anti Corruption Committee on a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit SFU, Anthony Mike Orbitz, in a collaborative vision to battle corruption.

The development, according to some industry watchers may however not be unconnected with the group’s desire to reinforce and recreate a leverage capable of tackling any protective hedges already put in a place by some institutional platforms to allegedly shield it’s personnel from NAGAFF forages.

“We in NAGAFF are conversant with the saying that “when you fight corruption, corruption fights back” and there is no gain saying the fact that we have started seeing the signs”, Ezenga stated, noting Aniebonam’s determination to forge on, in an unrelenting war to eradicate the menace of corruption; tracing the body’s long and rich history of confronting corruption at the ports.

“The truth of the matter is that it is the tonic we needed to become more aggressive against any attempt by anybody or organization to intimidate or harass any of us. Except otherwise to the contrary, NAGAFF is directly in touch with Mr. President in his efforts to fight corruption in Nigeria.

“For the avoidance of doubt Mr. President has been with us before he won election into the exalted position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, when we went to break the monopoly of just one man at Jibiya Border of the North West axial of the Federation. Today the Jibiya border has been liberated for all concerned to do their legitimate business unhindered. We appreciate and thank the CGC Hameed Ali Ibrahim in this regard in ensuring that a level playing field is provided for all who have genuine business to do with Customs at Jibiya border as a freight forwarders”, Ezenga noted further, pointing out that the SFU Arrowhead, Anthony Mike Orbitz actually expressed appreciation to the NAGAFF leadership for both the visit and the intent which works towards efforts to eradicate corruption in Nigeria.

“The CP said he was not surprised at the efforts of NAGAFF, against corruption, adding that he has known the Association since 1999 when he was the Head of Intelligence at Apapa Port”, the National PRO concluded, stressing that the SFU Boss also pledged the determination and commitment of himself and his officers to the fight against fraud, in line with the mandate behind the setting up of the anti corruption Unit.

In the meantime, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has blamed senior lawyers for its failure to achieve speedy trial of corrupt people in the country. Acting chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu, disclosed this when he hosted a coalition of civil society groups that rallied to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja yesterday. Magu blamed the lawyers, who are in the category of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, among others, for halting the desired prosperity of the nation, when, according to him, they had enjoyed sponsorship of their education through various levels, including other social benefits, at the expense of the government when growing up. He decried that rather than help government and the commission fight looters and other corrupt persons in the country, the legal veterans choose to accept shares from stolen wealth and consequently impede justice.

His words: “One of the big challenges we have in the effective prosecution of the war on corruption is that of very senior lawyers who Nigeria has been very kind to. They, who went to good schools here when Nigeria was good; many of them on government scholarship, they who Nigeria has given so much opportunity. “When we have corruption cases, cases of people who have stolen food from the mouths of our children; when we have cases of people who have stolen money meant to build hospitals and buy drugs; when we have cases of people who have stolen all the money meant to buy guns for our soldiers to fight Boko Haram, when we have all these cases of wicked people who have stolen Nigeria’s money, they run to these same senior lawyers, give them part of the stolen money and mobilise them to fight us, to delay us in court and to deny Nigerians of justice.

“These are the people who do not want justice for National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net Wednesday, February 17, 2016 News 5 the common man. “The other day, 34 Senior Advocates of Nigeria fought against only one small EFCC lawyer in court and he defeated all of them! What we are doing today is not by our power, it is the power of the Nigerian people and the power of God behind us.” Magu also maintained that journalists hired by corrupt people abuse the commission daily, and accuse it of not performing its functions according to the law. He said such accusation was not true, adding that there is no agency in the country that follows the law more than the EFCC. He explained that before the commission arrests anyone, seize property or do anything to them, it checks the law, goes to court and secure court order.

“That is why we are winning; that is why we are defeating them everyday. We want the Nigerian people to continue to support us, continue to support Mr. President’s war on corruption. We have many corruption cases in court. We are getting them every day from everywhere and we are recovering stolen money and taking corrupt people to court. “The money we have recovered and the money we are going to get back from them -billions and billions of Naira- is being paid back to government and will be used to do what it was originally meant for -to build hospitals, send our children to school, build roads and railways, create employment and defend our country. We have no other country than Nigeria. This war is the war of the people. “Apart from the fear of God, we have no other fear. Apart from the interest of Nigeria, we have no other interest. And apart from the Rule of Law, we have no other rule guiding the work we are doing today. The days of impunity are over,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, EFCC yesterday arraigned a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Rickey Tarfa, before a Lagos High Court on a twocount charge bordering on obstruction of justice and attempting to pervert the course of justice. EFCC had in charge No- LD/2417C/16 filed before Justice Aishat Opesanwo alleged that Tarfa on February 5, 2016, hid two suspects, Nazaire Sorou Gnanhoue and Modeste Finagnon, both Beninoise in his Mercedes Benz Sports Utility car, thereby shielding them from being arrested and willfully obstructing the course of justice. Tarfa was alleged to have prevented two operatives of the commission, who were officially detailed to effect their arrest from carrying out their statutory duties. Tarfa’s defence counsel, Niyi Akinola, SAN, who led 14 other senior advocates and about 150 other lawyers in his application for bail brought pursuant to Section 115 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, urged the court to grant the defendant bail on self-recognition. Akintola told the court that the defendant was granted administrative bail by EFCC and had consistently reported to the office of the Commission every morning by 8:00am. He stated that the defendant had submitted himself for trial and was prepared to defend the charge filed against him.

He added that being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the defendant would not jump bail, adding that he had over 60 lawyers in his law firm. But, opposing the application, EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court to dismiss the application and remand the defendant in prison custody. He urged the court to discountenance the argument that the defendant is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, adding that in consideration of crime of this nature, the personality of the defendant is not relevant. He also urged the court to disregard the submissions of the defence lawyer that Tarfa was granted bail on self-recognition by EFCC, stressing that he was granted administrative bail following an undertaken by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. After standing the matter down for hours, Justice Opesanwo in her ruling granted the defendant bail in self recognition. The court however ordered that the defendant should not travel out of the country without informing the court. Justice Opesanwo stated that the defendant presented overwhelming evidence before the court that had not been controverted by the prosecution.

The court added that the prosecution did not deny the fact that Tarfa was granted administrative bail and had not defaulted. The matter has been adjourned till March 14 for hearing of the application filed by Tarfa asking the court to quash the charge and April 20 for trial. The two-count charge reads: “That you Rickey Tarfa on or about February 5 2016 within the jurisdiction of the court willfully abstracted Moses Awolusi and Sanusi Muhammed, authorised officers of the EFCC from arresting Nazaire Sorou Gnanhoue and Modeste Finagnon, who were reasonably suspected to have committed economic and financial crimes by keeping the said suspects in your car between 11:00 hours to 16:30 hours. “That you Rickey Tarfa, SAN, between May 11 and June 25, 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the court attempted to pervert the course of justice by communicating with Justice Mohammed Yinusa of the Federal High Court through your mobile telephone no-08034600000, while suit No-FHC/716 between Hair Prestige Manufacturing Nigeria and EFCC filed by you on behalf of the applicants seeking to restrain the Commission from performing its statutory duties were pending before the said judge.”

Additional report from National Mirror