The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday said it had concluded plans to reopen the probe of Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers state.
Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the EFCC, who spoke during his vsit to Port Harcourt, said investigation into allegations of money laundering against the former governor would be resumed.
it would be recalled that Odili was granted a perpetual injunction by a court preventing the EFCC from investigating or arraigning him.
The court order also stopped the anti-graft agency from investigating the finances of the Rivers state government.
Magu, however, said the commission has appealed against the injunction, but still waiting for the outcome of the apeal at the supreme court.
He added that subsequent judgments of the courts have established that the EFCC cannot be restrained from investigating anyone.
Magu said Rivers has the second-highest number of money laundering cases after Lagos, adding that nothing is going to deter the agency from making sure the injunction was overturned
“I think Rivers is the next to Lagos in terms of crime. This is the headquarter of money laundering because there is a lot of oil money here,” he said.
“Nothing is going to stop us. Even the issue of the court order allegedly obtained by Dr Peter Odili and co to stop the EFCC from investigation and prosecution is still at the Supreme Court. We are on it.
“I am telling you that, that judgement cannot stand; it will only take some time but it cannot hold and we are going to conclude the investigation.
“There are so many investigations we are doing. I am sure the matter has suffered for about 13 years now. We are going to test it. The matter is in the Supreme Court. We will follow it up.
“That decision that is pending in the Supreme Court cannot hold water again. There is a subsequent judgment that has overridden it.
“Other judgments say nobody, not even a judge, not even the Judiciary, not even the court can stop us from investigating and prosecuting.”
The acting EFCC chairman also said the commission secured 1,245 convictions in 2019.
“Let me also use this medium to warn against illegal oil bunkering. Perpetrators should desist from their nefarious operations. The EFCC is resolute in its fight against economic sabotage and oil theft,” he said.
“The Niger Delta is highly significant to our national economy and the Commission will continue to do all that is lawful and patriotic in ensuring that operators of illegal oil bunkering are brought to book.”