Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, has responded defiantly to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) threats of legal action against him. In a statement released on his social media platforms, Odinkalu made it clear that he remains unmoved by the EFCC’s warnings and instead chose to highlight what he perceives as the agency’s misplaced priorities and abuse of power.
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Odinkalu expressed his astonishment at the EFCC’s decision to focus on his opinion, stating that he considers the agency undeserving of any adjectives or multiple syllables from him. He accused the EFCC of doubling down on a manifest preoccupation with abuse of power, rather than addressing more pressing issues facing the nation.
The former human rights commission chairman questioned the EFCC’s sense of priorities, suggesting that the agency sees itself as useful only for persecuting marginalized members of society. He also raised concerns about the EFCC’s apparent idleness, as evidenced by their decision to dedicate an entire Friday to his opinion.
Odinkalu argued that the EFCC’s actions should be a cause for concern among all responsible citizens. He described the agency’s focus on his criticism as a tragic unfortunate, especially considering the numerous challenges currently facing Nigeria.
“It is just so tragically unfortunate that they consider it their statutory duty at the EFCC to be fiddling while the country burns. If that is not idle abuse of power, I don’t know what is,” Odinkalu stated in his response.
The human rights activist’s strong rebuttal comes in the wake of the EFCC’s stern warning issued to him over his comments on the arrest of Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky. Odinkalu had criticized the EFCC’s arrest of Bobrisky, labeling it as evidence of idleness or an abuse of power.
As the heated exchange between Chidi Odinkalu and the EFCC continues, it remains to be seen whether the agency will follow through on its threats of legal action or if the public debate surrounding the EFCC’s priorities and actions will lead to any significant changes in the organization’s approach to tackling crime and corruption in Nigeria.
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