A dispute may be brewing between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Police over the custody of two suspects arrested in connection with a reported glitch in a microfinance bank.
The suspects, Illesanmi Olaniyi and Ishola Maruf, were first arrested by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja on March 17, last year, and later granted administrative bai.
Their lawyer, Khadijah Bayern, said two vehicles- a Toyota Hilux and a Toyota RAV4- with documents, goods and other personal items were seized during the initial police investigation. The seized items, she noted, were still in police custody, with a forfeiture case in court.
However, Bayern has petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), accusing the EFCC of re-arresting her clients on the same matter currently being handled by the police and already before a court.
In the petition titled Double Jeopardy and Intimidation, Bayern alleged that the suspects have been held in EFCC custody for over 12 days without bail.
She urged the AGF to intervene, saying multiple arrests by various agencies on the same issue could frustrate the legal process.
In a separate letter dated July 29, this year, another lawyer representing the suspects also wrote to the Director of EFCC’s Special Duty Section 2 (SDC2), requesting flexibility in the bail.
The counsel asked the Commission to accept civil servants on Grade Level 14 or 15 as sureties, instead of higher-level officers earlier required.
The letter also drew attention to the medical conditions of the suspects, claiming they suffer from a cardiovascular ailment that requires regular medication.
The legal team assured the EFCC of its cooperation with the investigation and urged the agency to consider the request in the interest of justice and fairness.
EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale said the agency’s operations are based on actionable intelligence and petitions.
“There is no way the commission will deploy its resources to the investigation of a matter the police is handling if there are no fresh angles being investigated.
“As for the detention of suspects, we can lawfully hold a suspect beyond the statutory 48 hours by obtaining a Remand Warrant from the Magistrates’ Court.
“Please know that the EFCC does not harass or intimidate anyone. We operate within the ambit of the law in all that we do,” he said.
