EFCC Urged to Focus on Evidence in Corruption Cases

Dr. Ephriam Attah, a public affairs analyst, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure that investigations into corruption cases are driven by verifiable evidence rather than media narratives.

This statement was made during an interview with journalists on Wednesday, reacting to the acquittal of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on bribery charges by the Southwark Crown Court in the United Kingdom. Attah stressed the importance of building corruption cases on facts that can withstand judicial scrutiny and not solely on public opinion or media coverage.

He referenced the reputational damage that corruption allegations can inflict on public officials, citing Bernard Otti, a former executive at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), who remains subject to public criticism despite the outcomes of legal proceedings. Attah advocated for the strengthening of investigative processes within Nigerian anti-graft agencies to uphold fair justice and support economic reform.