A coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of the National Interest Coalition (NICO) has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to blackmail and destabilise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anti-corruption efforts and the leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the convener of the group, Comrade Bashir Saleh Abdu, alleged that some top government officials are funding a coordinated campaign against the EFCC under its Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede.
He claimed that billions of naira in stolen public funds are being deployed to undermine the anti-graft agency, distract President Tinubu, and derail the anti-corruption agenda.
“They want to divert attention from the ongoing investigations that have exposed their dirty dealings, thereby sabotaging the government and empowering its enemies,” Abdu said.
The group further alleged that secret meetings have been held with dissident figures and sponsored campaigns aimed at smearing the image of the President, EFCC, and the Department of State Services (DSS).
NICO called on President Tinubu to remain resolute and urged the EFCC leadership not to be intimidated, stressing that no one regardless of status should be allowed to evade justice.
The coalition also appealed to civil society groups, labour unions, student bodies, religious leaders, the media, and patriotic Nigerians at home and abroad to stand in defence of the nation’s future.
The group then commended the anti-corruption agency for establishing a more victim-focused compensation system, where fraud victims now benefit directly from EFCC’s recovery efforts.
The group stated that corruption had decided to fight back, adding that credible reports have confirmed that “some embattled men individuals already facing corruption-related cases, some of whom still occupy sensitive positions in government have drawn up a grand conspiracy to frustrate this anti-corruption crusade. These desperate men, terrified of the long arm of the law, are now deploying billions of stolen public funds to blackmail the EFCC leadership, to undermine President Tinubu’s anti-corruption drive, and to destabilize this government.
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