Why Atiku Was Not Prosecuted Over Alleged Funds Transfer – Agbonayinma

A former lawmaker who represented the Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has disclosed why he gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an ultimatum to reopen a case against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Agbonayinma explained that Atiku had immunity while he served as Vice President; hence, he could not be prosecuted.

Naija News reports that the former lawmaker spoke during an interview on Arise Television on Saturday.

He asserted that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had once called for an investigation into Atiku, alleging that money that left Nigeria and moved to global destinations passed through various companies he was affiliated with.

According to him, the United States did a fantastic job investigating the matter, adding that millions of dollars moved through different banks.

Agbonayinma said, “He was a Vice President, so because of the immunity he enjoyed at the time, they could not prosecute him or take the matter to court. All they could do was investigate the subject matter.

“It is so sad that when we begin to ask why now, why not yesterday. That is not the point of contention. That is not the main issue. I want us to look at the subject matter.

“The fact remains that I did not initiate this investigation, neither am I the one that wrote a petition many years ago against our former Vice President. Until proven guilty, you are innocent.

“The ‘why now’, I think, is not the question that should be posed. I think that question should be posed to the EFCC. Why have they not lived up to the expectation that a matter that was investigated, a job well done by them under the leadership of the former chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, is lingering? The report is mind-boggling.

“That question is: why have they not done what they ought to do? When we go out there, go to prisons today, you see people who stole ₦10,000 languishing in jail. Those who have robbed this country because of immunity, impunity, licence to steal, to rob the Nigerian people. How did we get here? Why now is not the subject matter. Why has this matter not been looked into?”