The Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a significant ruling by dismissing a lawsuit filed by 19 state governments.
These states had challenged the constitutionality of three key anti-corruption bodies: the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
The states argued that these agencies were established illegally, claiming that the EFCC Act and similar laws did not adhere to Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution.
This section requires that a majority of state Houses of Assembly approve the incorporation of international conventions into Nigerian law.
The plaintiffs contended that this constitutional requirement was not met when the EFCC Act was enacted in 2004.
However, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel, rejected these claims.
Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, delivering the lead judgment, stated that "the states were completely wrong in holding that EFCC established by an act of the National Assembly was an illegal and unlawful body."
The court affirmed the authority of the EFCC, ICPC, and NFIU to arrest and prosecute offenders, reinforcing their crucial role in combating financial crimes and corruption in Nigeria.
Comments