Corruption: Fagbemi seeks unbundling of EFCC, ICPC

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN and ministerial nominee from Kwara State, Lateef Fagbemi has said that the unbundling of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, remains a major way to address the issues of corruption in the country.

Fagbemi spoke on Wednesday during his screening by the Senate as President Bola Tinubu’s nomination for ministerial appointment.

The accomplished lawyer, who was responding to questions bothering on corruption from senators, condemned the acts of carrying out arrests before investigations by the anti-graft agencies.

He said: “Truth be told, you fight corruption but at the same time the way it’s fought in Nigeria leaves much to be desired.

“If I have my way, I will advise the President to unbundle, first of all, bring out ICPC, and EFCC together and unbundle them.”

According to him, investigation of criminal offences should not be handled by the same body adding that there must be a supervisory authority within the same system.

“If there is investigation, it is another body, prosecution is another body. It doesn’t augur well to ask the same authority to do investigation and come and do prosecution. That is when we have a problem.

“Investigation takes time especially in serious corruption cases. Are we prepared to wait.

“My take is that a situation should be created such as the one that happened when Hushpuppi was arrested.

“They had been trailing him for years, he didn’t know and nobody will talk to him. But the day they said the time was up, he also knew that the time was up,” he stressed.

Fagbemi also said that investigation should be thorough.

He said: “It shouldn’t be that when a given governor leaves office, let’s go, EFCC is investigating you. That is not the way to investigate criminal matters.

“You can take your time to prosecute but when you not, and it should be like the way an average American will react when the FBI knocks at the door.”