The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has denied suing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged plans to arrest him after the expiration of his tenure in office.
The News Agency of Nigeria earlier reported that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, adjourned the fundamental human rights suit filed by Governor Sanwo-Olu against the EFCC to November 11 for further mention.
According to the report, in the suit filed through his lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, Sanwo-Olu told the court that the anti-graft agency was threatening to arrest, detain, and prosecute him after his tenure, describing it as unconstitutional and a violation of his fundamental rights.
However, the state government, in a rebuttal signed by Lawal Pedro, SAN, its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, on Tuesday, denied suing the anti-graft agency.
The government also noted that the governor is not being investigated by the agency.
It said, “Our attention has been drawn to the news circulating in a section of the media, titled: ‘Sanwo-Olu Sues EFCC over alleged plan to arrest, prosecute him after tenure.’
“We need to clarify that Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at no time, sued or briefed any legal practitioner to file a suit on his behalf concerning the above subject matter.
“Also, it is disingenuous for the Governor who enjoys immunity as conferred on him by the Constitution and has almost three years ahead of him to brief any lawyer on this kind of matter.
“To the best of my knowledge and my inquiry confirmed that the EFCC is not investigating the Governor and has never invited him or threatened arrest of any member of his staff, domestic or otherwise.
“We are currently investigating how the case came to be without our knowledge.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been an exemplar in terms of service delivery, prudent and judicious management of the public resources.
“Therefore, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu who is busy working assiduously on how to improve the living conditions of all Lagosians does not have anything to fear when he eventually leaves office at the end of his tenure in May 2027.”
“We, therefore, enjoin media organisations to be wary of the kind of reports they entertain and publish on their respected platforms in order not to mislead the public,” it added.
