The supreme court has ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has no authority to arrest and prosecute state governors after they leave office
The court also ruled that the EFCC lacks the authority to investigate state finances. As a result, if a governor steals money from a state where he is governor, the EFCC has no authority to prosecute him.
Only the state’s attorney general or the Nigerian police, or any other agency covered by the Criminal Code, Penal Code, or any other law, can prosecute the governor. The federal government can no longer use the EFCC to exert control over state governors, and it can no longer use the EFCC to prosecute any politician who does not fall into its favor.
The apex Court, in a landmark judgment in Dr.Joseph Nwobike SAN Vs. Federal Republic of Nigeria, Appeal No. SC/CR/161/2020, told the anti graft agency that its powers to investigate and prosecute financial crimes under Section 46 of the EFCC Act was not at large.
