The acting Zonal Director of the Benin Zone of the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Effang Okim, has revealed that the agency released Kelly Okungbowa(aka Ebo Stone) it earlier arrested on allegation of naira mutilation and abuse so that he can be properly served justice.
He made the disclosure as he responded to enquiries on the issue while on a visit to the Secretariat of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ) in Benin City on Thursday afternoon.
Okim affirmed that the EFCC enforces laws and don’t make laws insisting that the decision to place the suspect in a separate cell is not a private matter but public and was informed by the fact that he has some form of influence within the community especially among the population of youths and is politically exposed.
“He was detained in the best and right procedure and he was taken to a competent court of law, a Federal High Court with a competent judge presiding over the case,” Okim dispelleded insinuations in some quarters that Okungbowa was given some preferential treatment.
Okim disclosed that the court adjourned Okungbowa’s case to May 20th for hearing and that has been a plus for the agency especially as some people are used to accusing the agency of acting out of turn.
“In this process of investigation and prosecution where are we lacking? We deserve some praise. I have told my men that some people are out to distract us. But we will remain focused. We’re too serious minded and focus driven.”
Earlier, Okim informed the journalists that the gain of the partnership between the EFCC and the media is unquantifiable.
“We won’t be who people say that we’re without you(the media). Without you our work will not speak for itself. It has been a very good relationship. Without you we wont get to where we are today,” he submitted.
Responding, Dr. Festus Alenkhe, Chairman of the Edo State Council of the NUJ, gave thumbs up to the anti-graft agency for reducing the activities of fraudsters in Edo State most especially. However, he pointed out that ritual killings has been on the rise as the fraudsters have now resorted to ritual killings. The anti-graft agency boss disclosed that the issue of ritual killings is not in his agency’s mandate unless it’s tied to economic and financial fraud.
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