The Campaign for Democracy on Sunday asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to commence the process of prosecuting former President Goodluck Jonathan, over his alleged roles in the disbursement of the $2.1bn meant for the procurement of arms to fight insurgency.
The CD, in a statement by its National President, Ifeanyi Odili, and made available to our correspondent in Abuja, noted that the excuse of the anti-graft agency that it was still looking for evidence that would link Jonathan with the scam was unacceptable.
The statement partly read, “We (CD) want to assert that there are avalanche of evidences that have linked the former President to the criminal diversion of public funds and genocide against Nigerians.
“There are enough witnesses by individuals linking the former President to the $2.1 arms scandal.
“It is not the duty of the CD to begin to mention names of individuals who have reportedly confessed to the EFCC that the illegalities were based on the instructions (though verbal) from the former President.”
The group noted that in ordinary criminal cases, “when a name of a person is mentioned as a conspirator or a connivance, such a person will be arrested or invited for interrogation.”
The CD added, “For the EFCC to continue to keep people in detentions and prisons, flouting court orders while the major culprit is allowed to move freely is an act of timidity, cowardice and unwillingness to carry its primary national assignment to the letter.
“It confirms the rumour making the rounds that President Muhammadu Buhari had an agreement with Jonathan that he will not probe his government if he (Jonathan) relinquish power in a free and fair presidential contest.
“We put it to Buhari that if the rumour was something to go by, that was his personal agreement with Jonathan when he had not been declared the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“But now that there are worrisome cases of fraud, wicked diversion of public funds, unwarranted killings by Boko Haram arising from the corrupt practices by the Jonathan’s government, he (Jonathan) should not only be arrested and charged with breach of public trust, criminal diversion of our commonwealth, he should be tried for genocide in the International Criminal Court.” Punch
