The simmering face-off between Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) deepened over the weekend with the fiery human rights activist scoffing threats by the commission to take legal action against him.

CITY LAWYER recalls that Odinaklu, a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), had blasted EFCC for the arrest of controversial cross-dress Idris Okuneye, otherwise called Bobrisky, describing the anti-graft agency as “idle.”

Peeved by the criticism, the anti-graft agency had issued an elaborate statement blasting the leading human rights advocate.

But in series of tweets on his verified “X” handle, the defiant senior lawyer wrote: “Just to prove that all they are involved in at the @officialEFCC is idle abuse of power, here they go…. These folks are so predictable.

“I said the @officialEFCC were shameless, idle & involved in manifest #AbuseOfPower. They promptly prove me right!

“It is now self evident that @officialEFCC is a shameless, #IdleAndDisorderly institution whose sole preoccupation is #AbuseOfPower. This is beyond unfortunate but entirely predictable.

“It is just so tragically unfortunate that they consider it their statutory duty at the EFCC to be fiddling while the country burns. If that is not idle abuse of power, I don’t know what is,” Odinkalu stated in his response.”

In the statement signed by EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale, the apparently embittered anti-graft agency warned Odinkalu to desist from criticising the agency warned that “The Commission would not hesitate to take appropriate legal actions against such uncouth commentaries against its lawful mandate by anyone.”

The full statement of the commission reads: 

Chidi Odinkalu’s Reckless Commentaries on EFCC

“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to some reckless commentaries made by a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu  on the arrest of Idris Okuneye(a.k.a Bobrisky) by the Commission, describing it as evidence of idleness or an abuse of power .

“The Commission views such commentaries from Odinkalu as unbecoming of a former head of a major government agency.  Okuneye was arrested and arraigned by the Commission on the basis of clear cases of abuse of the Naira to which he has pleaded guilty.

“Odinkalu has a right to free speech as a Nigerian but such a right should be exercised with decorum and responsibility. The Commission would not hesitate to take appropriate legal actions against such uncouth commentaries against its lawful mandate by anyone.

“Odinkalu is warned and advised to ventilate his rascally opinions more responsibly in future situations.”

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