By Nwafor Sunday

Following reports that the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, influenced the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, the commission has on Monday denied it, saying that nobody forced it to investigate Oyo-Ita.

Abba Kyari and Oyo-Ita

Disclosing this via its official facebook handle, the commission opined the investigation was evidence-based.

Read the full statement below:

“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to reports by a section of the media, insinuating that the ongoing investigation of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita by the Commission was instigated by the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari.

“The Commission wishes to state that there is no truth in these claims, and urges the general public to disregard the reports as the handiwork of mischief makers.

Buhari to ministers: Channel your requests, executive matters through Kyari, SGF(Opens in a new browser tab)

“For the avoidance of doubt, investigation by the EFCC is evidence-based. Most often,they are triggered by petitions or intelligence. In the case of the HoS, Oyo- Ita’s investigation, it was prompted by intelligence received by the Commission.

“The EFCC is an independent agency created by law to fight corruption without fear or favour. In the discharge of its mandate, the Commission does not take instructions from extraneous bodies neither will it lend itself to be used to settle scores by anyone.

“The Commission again wishes to appeal to the media to be circumspect in their reportage and not lend themselves to actions that could befuddle the activities of the Commission.”

Vanguard