The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, has confirmed that the anti-graft agency is investigating former Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode but denied raiding his Epe home.
EFCC’s visit to Ambode’s country home in Epe is coming weeks after the agency secured a court order placing an embargo on three bank accounts totalling N9.3bn allegedly linked to the former governor
In a statement issued by the EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, the anti-graft agency said since Ambode no longer enjoys immunity, it was investigating him and the visit to his house had been part of the investigation.
The statement read, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has since early hours of today, been inundated with calls that operatives of the Commission raided the residence of the former governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode.
“We need to state for the records that the EFCC did not raid Ambode’s house. It is instructive that his administration, like other former governors, is under investigation since they no longer constitutionally enjoy immunity against prosecution.
“The Commission hereby states with a high sense of responsibility that the operatives did not raid Ambode’s residence.
Whatever the Commission is presently doing with regards to the investigation is in line with its mandate and the rule of law.
“We wish to inform the social media to be circumspect in the reportage of any news with regards to investigation activities of the Commission.
“As a tradition, the Commission does not carry out investigations on the pages of the newspapers or through the media. Our operations are always covert until at a time when we file charges in court.
“Therefore, the attempt to cast the Commission in a bad light is unacceptable as the EFCC will never engage in any illegal act. We remain committed to the war against corruption.”
