Corrupt Politicians Laying Landmines For Us – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, lamented that its efforts at fighting corruption in the country had been misconstrued by corrupt individuals as a political witch-hunt.

EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, who made the claim when the new American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, visited him in his office, said it was normal for Nigerians to complain against the commission for doing its job, especially during an election year.

Lamorde said: “Most of the times, anything that happens, whether people are at fault, they blame it on someone else.

“Even when there is a genuine case and you go after an individual, they will start saying that he is being haunted because he is this or that. It is a situation that is laden with landmine now.

“So, we have to meander to avoid stepping on the landmine so that they don’t blow us up. It is very difficult. We went through that in 2011. Sometime when election is coming it becomes very difficult to do anything”.

The anti-graft boss, however, assured the Ambassador that the commission would not relent in its effort at tackling corruption, noting that it had decided to do its job to the best of its ability.

Lamorde hailed the continuous assistance rendered by United States government to the EFCC since its inception, describing the US as a major international ally in its fight against corruption and other financial crimes.

Speaking earlier, Ambassador Entwistle assured that the US would continue to support and strengthen the EFCC to tackle corruption and economic crimes in Nigeria.

Although the US Ambassador did not state what form the support would take, he said the American government was ready to partner with EFCC in any way it could, admitting that corruption was a serious global challenge.