A civil society organization has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate former President Muhammadu Buhari instead of targeting former Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State. Unconfirmed reports suggested that the EFCC had allegedly invaded Benue State with the intention of arresting Ortom, reportedly at the behest of Minister of Interior George Akume. Ortom had stated that he welcomed the EFCC’s presence in the state as he had nothing to hide.
Ternenge Bendega, President of the Benue Coalition for Democracy, questioned why the EFCC was ignoring alleged corruption allegations against Buhari’s government while focusing on Ortom. Bendega recalled that in August 2018, after Ortom left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to insecurity concerns and mistreatment by the APC leadership in Benue State, the EFCC had aggressively pursued him.
The statement by Bendega criticized the Buhari administration, calling it the most corrupt in Nigeria’s post-independence history, and accused the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies of turning a blind eye to corruption while targeting those who fight for justice, such as Samuel Ortom. The statement alleged that Buhari had a personal dislike for Ortom and had wanted him removed from office, with Senator George Akume being the agent for executing the plan.
The organization urged the EFCC to focus on investigating corrupt officials in the immediate past administration of President Buhari, who were accused of treating the national treasury as their personal estate. The statement criticized the selective approach of the EFCC, arguing that harassing innocent citizens for politically motivated reasons is unacceptable.