Ibori’s Case An Embarrassment To Nigeria’s Judicial System — Don

A Professor of Forensic Accounting, Samuel Dada, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to enhance the investigation of corruption cases by equipping its forensic accounting unit.

Mr Dada made the call during Babcock University’s 41st inaugural lecture titled: “The Forensic Accountant in a Global World of Corruption and Stunted Economic Growth.”

He said forensic accounting would assist the courts in reaching conclusions on corruption cases without delay.

He recommended that the EFCC engage trained experts with attractive remuneration to facilitate the investigation of corruption cases, and the use of forensic accounting experts from professional accounting firms to serve as investigators and expert witnesses.

The don also called for the strengthening of the legal framework to ensure that courts apply the provisions of Section 19 sub-section 2 of the EFCC Act, 2004 for the accelerated trial of corruption cases as well as the non-interference on corruption cases by the government.

“Government should not interfere in the operations of EFCC,” he said. “No individual should be treated as a sacred cow.”

Mr Dada attributed the success of the anti-corruption campaign in Hong Kong to the country’s anti-corruption agency’s independence from political interference and separation from the police force and the civil service.

He urged the judiciary not to use technicalities to dismiss cases of corruption.

Mr Dada described the case of a former governor of Delta state, James Ibori, whose case was dismissed by a Nigerian court but convicted by a court in London, as an embarrassment for the Nigerian judicial system.

He also called for the inclusion of ethics and forensic accounting in the curricula of tertiary educational institutions, saying it would both ensure effective professional training and create a stronger awareness of its value to “boost societal moral values.”