- Femi Falana urged Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to include the EFCC and ICPC in the constitution to strengthen their anti-corruption efforts
- Falana emphasized that constitutionalizing these agencies would protect their operations and enhance their effectiveness in combating corruption and money laundering
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to ensure that the ongoing constitutional review includes the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies in the Nigerian Constitution.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Falana argued that constitutionalizing the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) would strengthen their operations and protect them in the fight against corruption and money laundering.
Falana’s letter was in response to a previous one from Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, titled “Re: Urgent Legislative Attention on Constitutional Reforms Relating to Law Enforcement Agencies and Anti-corruption Efforts.”
Agbakoba had contended that the National Assembly exceeded its powers in establishing the EFCC, as the agency was not created under constitutional provisions.
Falana, however, disagreed with Agbakoba, noting that the Supreme Court has consistently supported the efforts of both the ICPC and EFCC in combating corruption in Nigeria.
He added that while Agbakoba’s argument centres on the principles of federalism, it does not account for the fact that the Constitution itself supports establishing these agencies.
Falana emphasized that if the constitution’s provisions support the anti-corruption bodies, it cannot be argued that their existence is illegal. Instead, he called for their inclusion in the constitution to further legitimize and strengthen their roles in the fight against corruption.