HURIWA tells Rivers PDP Governorship candidate to submit himself to EFCC

The news making the rounds that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State in the 2023 general election, Siminialayi Fubara, on Tuesday night escaped an attempt by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest him has been described by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) as disgusting and shameful.

HURIWA reminded the politician that under the constitutional Norm, he was innocent and therefore should respect a properly constituted law enforcement agency and surrender himself for questioning.

The group said it was a bad precedent that the Rivers State-born politician was setting if he continues to evade arrest by the EFCC, a body set up by law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, just as their mandate is supported by the constitutional provision in Section 15(5) which states that eradication of corruption and combating abuse of office was the duty of government.

The rights group said it was inexplicable why the top Rivers politician was evading the invitation of the EFCC when he would be accorded all his basic and fundamental human rights as a citizen since the anti-graft agency can’t afford to be lawless and unethical in its activities of waging a war against corruption.

HURIWA stated that under the new EFCC dispensation, anti-graft agency has not been associated with draconian detention. It therefore encouraged the Rivers politician not to be afraid if he was not guilty since only the guilty are afraid, moreover when he can afford to engage the services of reputable lawyers to prove his innocence.

HURIWA condemned the reported physical confrontation against the operatives of the EFCC going by the news report that as the operatives moved to effect the arrest of the Rivers PDP governorship candidate for questioning over allegations of graft related offences, some youths believed to be his supporters allegedly resisted the officials and attacked them.

HURIWA recalled that the EFCC had declared Fubara, the immediate past Accountant-General of Rivers State, and three other top state government officials, wanted over alleged N117 billion fraud.

After the drama at the airport, Fubara who won the state PDP governorship primary on May 25, proceeded to the state party secretariat where he addressed party supporters and stakeholders.

HURIWA said the unbecoming tendencies of politicians to totally disregard invitations of lawfully constituted law enforcement agencies is unconstitutional just as the Rights group charged the police to investigate the allegations of physical attack of the operatives of the EFCC by some unidentified youths allegedly said to be supporters of the embattled Rivers State Governorship Candidate of the PDP.

HURIWA said it was unimaginable that invitation by EFCC was dishonoured and those invited were hiding from being arrested, describing the attitude as a highly disgraceful Conduct, especially going by the fact that the person involved was seeking to be elected as a governor of one of Nigeria’s richest states.

The rights group in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, is, therefore, charging the Rivers State governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, to ask his aides wanted by the EFCC to surrender and defend themselves since there was nothing to be afraid of if they were not guilty of the allegations.