EFCC disputes claims its lawyer linked Iseghoi-Edwards to fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied claims that its counsel, Larry Peters Aso, linked a legal practitioner, Dr Ted Iseghoi-Edwards, to alleged fraud in the London-Paris Club refunds case.

The commission described reports attributing such comments to Aso as misleading, insisting that he made no statement suggesting that a 2024 EFCC report on the matter was prepared under pressure from senior officials.

In a statement issued on Monday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC said the reports misrepresented Aso’s reaction to a judgment delivered by Justice Suleiman Belgore of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.

The judgment arose from a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Iseghoi-Edwards over allegations of fraud relating to services rendered to Nigeria’s 774 local government councils.

According to the commission, the court reportedly cleared the lawyer of the allegations and disagreed with the EFCC’s position on its investigation report concerning the London-Paris Club refunds.

The EFCC said Aso merely thanked the judge for his efforts in handling the case and informed the court that the commission would obtain a Certified True Copy of the judgment to determine its next steps.

“He never said anything about any EFCC 2024 report on an allegation that Iseghoi-Edwards fraudulently obtained the judgments, because he instituted proceedings against the Federal Government in the United States,” the statement said.

The commission also rejected reports suggesting that Aso claimed the investigation report was prepared under pressure from higher authorities following the assignment of promissory notes by Iseghoi-Edwards to third parties in the United States.

It described the claims as mischievous and a deliberate attempt at character assassination, arguing that they falsely suggested that external influences had affected the investigation.

The EFCC urged journalists to verify reports of court proceedings, noting that the record of proceedings from October 20, 2026, when the judgment was delivered, was available to confirm Aso’s actual comments.

The commission called on the media to uphold objectivity in reporting judicial proceedings in the interest of justice.