Nigeria’s top anti-graft agency, EFCC has said securing administrative bail of suspects after arrest by its operatives is free of charge.
The EFCC acting commander of the Ibadan Zonal office, Halima Rufa’u said this on Wednesday.
According to a statement published by commission spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC’s chief stated that the anti-graft agency does not charge any money from lawyers or family members of detained suspects before releasing them on bail.
She thus cautioned lawyers to refrain from acting as “surety” and legal counsel to suspects at the same time, emphasising that such conduct not only gets them in trouble but also does not reflect well on the legal profession.
“In the event the suspect was released and later jumps administrative bail, the Commission will have no choice than to arrest the lawyer first, before going after other sureties”, Ms Rufa’u warned.
However, the Zonal Commander praised the NBA for the trip, saying it will improve the two organisations’ already-existing cooperation and synergy.
The committee’s chairman, Folashade Aladeniyi, praised the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Command for its efforts to reduce fraud and related cybercrime in Oyo State in her remarks.
She nevertheless pleaded with the Zonal Commander to preserve the detained defendants’ rights by assuring their prompt release while also causing an investigation into the actions of those accused of state corruption who are politically exposed.
