Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has signed a new law to mandate agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC and other anti-graft agencies, to hand over corruption cases to the state government.
According to the legislation titled ‘Lagos State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law’ signed by Sanwo-Olu last week, a new anti-corruption agency will have the exclusive rights to investigate financial crimes and corruption cases involving the finances of the Lagos State Government.
“The commission shall upon the commencement of this law take over the investigation of all anti-corruption and financial crime cases involving the finances and assets of Lagos State Government being investigated by any other agency,” Section 13(3) of the law reads.
Also, Section 13(5) states that, “the commission shall have the power to the exclusion of any other agency or body to investigate and coordinate the investigation of corruption and financial crimes cases involving the finances and assets of the state government”.
According to the new legislation, the state anti-graft agency shall have the power to investigate any person or administrative action taken by any ministry, department, agency or parastatal of the state government or any local government.
It shall further be empowered to investigate any offence under the criminal law of the state in relation to corruption and financial crimes, abuse of office, offences relating to administration of justice, obtaining by false pretences, cybercrime, fake news, interception of emails and fraudulent dealing with property debtors.
While the agency shall be able to investigate anyone who cannot explain his or her source of income and shall not be subjected to the direction and control of any authority, it is however barred from investigating cases that are pending before the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Lagos State Executive Council or any court of law.
Meanwhile, corruption cases involving members of the Nigeria Police Force and the Armed Forces cannot be investigated by the commission, except acts of corruption committed by them as private individuals.
Three former Lagos governors, Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, are currently under investigation by the EFCC. The commission is also investigating the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, who helped facilitate the passage of the law.
While the details of Fashola’s probe has never been made public, the EFCC is so looking into petitions that Tinubu allegedly enriched himself by using a tax consultancy firm, Alpha Beta, to divert Lagos funds and commit tax evasion to the tune of N100bn.
The former governor was also reported to the EFCC for transporting cash-laden bullion vans to his home on the eve of the 2019 presidential election.
