Lagos Govt Denies Sanwo-Olu Sued EFCC Over Alleged Arrest Plans
11 months ago 2 min read
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The Lagos State Government has denied reports suggesting that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu filed a lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged plan to arrest, detain, and prosecute him after his tenure as governor.
According to the reports, Sanwo-Olu, through his lawyer Darlington Ozurumba, allegedly filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/773/2024, dated and filed on June 6, reportedly contained seven questions and sought 11 reliefs.
However, in a statement released on Tuesday night, Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, clarified that the governor did not sue or authorize any legal practitioner to file such a suit on his behalf regarding the matter.
“Our attention has been drawn to the news circulating in a section of the media, titled: “Sanwo-Olu Sues EFCC over alleged plan to arrest, prosecute him after tenure.”
“We need to clarify that Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at no time, sued or briefed any legal practitioner to file a suit on his behalf concerning the above subject matter.
“Also, it is disingenuous for the Governor who enjoys immunity as conferred on him by the Constitution and has almost three years ahead of him to brief any lawyer on this kind of matter,” Pedro said.
He further clarified that the EFCC is not investigating the governor and has never summoned him or any member of his staff, domestic or otherwise, nor has there been any threat of arrest.
The commissioner also mentioned that the state government is currently investigating how the matter arose without its knowledge.
“To the best of my knowledge and my inquiry confirmed that the EFCC is not investigating the Governor and has never invited him or threatened arrest of any member of his staff, domestic or otherwise.
“We are currently investigating how the case came to be without our knowledge.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been an exemplar in terms of service delivery, prudent and judicious management of the public resources.
“Therefore, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu who is busy working assiduously on how to improve the living conditions of all Lagosians does not have anything to fear when he eventually leaves office at the end of his tenure in May 2027,” Pedro stated..
He, therefore, enjoined media organisations to be wary of the kind of reports they entertain and publish on their platforms in order not to mislead the public.
