Sanwo-Olu didn’t take EFCC to court, says Lagos govt

Sanwo-Olu didn’t take EFCC to court, says Lagos govt

By Jeffrey Agbo

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu did not sue the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the state government has said.

Reports claimed on Tuesday that Sanwo-Olu filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit over alleged threat to arrest, detain and prosecute him after his tenure.

According to the reports, the suit was filed before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Abuja through a lawyer named Darlington Ozurumba.

However, in a statement on Tuesday night signed by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, the government said Sanwo-Olu never sued the EFCC.

“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,” the statement said.

“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.

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“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.”

The government said it is investigating how the case came to be without its 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.

“We, therefore, enjoin media organisations to be wary of the kind of reports they entertain and publish on their respected platforms in order not to mislead the public,” the statement said.