Lagos State refrains from joining other states in EFCC lawsuit, citing an ongoing case at the Supreme Court on a similar issue.
The Lagos State Government has explained its decision not to join other states in the ongoing lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the Supreme Court.
The state cites an existing case between it and the EFCC, which is already under consideration at the apex court.
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Addressing the media on Wednesday during a two-day Strategic Management meeting involving ministries, departments, agencies, and stakeholders, Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), elaborated on the state’s position.
He explained that after the Lagos State House of Assembly passed a law establishing a state anti-corruption agency, the EFCC, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), filed a case against the state at the Supreme Court.
“Joining the new suit alongside other states would amount to an abuse of court process, as Lagos is already engaged in a similar legal battle with the EFCC,” Pedro stated.
The conflict arose after Lagos enacted legislation on public complaints and formed its own anti-corruption body to tackle local corruption issues.
However, the EFCC challenged the legality of this agency, leading to the ongoing Supreme Court case.
According to Pedro, adding Lagos to the current collective lawsuit filed by other states would be redundant, given the pending nature of its own legal proceedings.
Pedro also highlighted that the lawsuit filed by the AGF has delayed the operations of Lagos State’s anti-corruption agency, although they expect the Supreme Court to set a hearing date soon.
“The EFCC, police, and other law enforcement agencies can investigate corruption cases,” Pedro said. “But when it comes to prosecuting state offences, the Attorney-General of the state holds the constitutional power to do so.
Any federal agency prosecuting such cases must do so with the permission of the Attorney-General.”
Pedro dismissed suggestions that Lagos’ decision not to join the new lawsuit was influenced by President Bola Tinubu’s Lagos roots.
“I’ve been asked if Lagos didn’t join because the President is from here, and I say no, that’s not the case. We already have a pending case for the Supreme Court to decide,” he clarified.
Despite the legal disputes, Pedro underscored the cooperative relationship between Lagos State and the EFCC.
He also noted that state prosecutions are handled in alignment with the constitutional authority of the Attorney-General, who retains the power to take over or discontinue any case when it serves justice or public interest.