War against corruption: the role of hired protesters worry EFCC

Emeka Ibemere

Obviously, Nigerians speak from both sides of their mouth when it comes to the issue of corruption---they are the first to blow the whistle and shout about corrupt practices; yet they are the first to protest on the streets and at the high courts’ premises on behalf of any high ‘very important personality’ that is standing trial for corruption charges.

This double standard seems to be affecting the fight against corrupt persons in the society, especially when the so-called civil society groups are involved in the illicit protests that seem to smear the image of the anti-graft agencies that are fighting corruption in Nigeria.

Over the years, this unwholesome affair between the persons standing trials and their ‘rented or hired crowds’ have been taken for granted by the security agencies who ought to have arrested such persons trying to avert the course of justice for pecuniary interests, and have allowed the illicit affair to go as far as becoming a norm in Nigeria.

A cursory check revealed that it costs as poor as N1000 to N500, to hire each person to protest against trial of a particular accused person, while it cost as high as N250, 000 to get a group to protest. 

Most of these protests were never well organised because some of the protesters at times don’t even know what they were hired for.  Most of them are jobless youths, unpaid or underpaid workers, market men and women, hawkers, drivers and the entire poor people that constitute Nigeria’s enslaved workforce were always involve.

Spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, speaking on the illicit act said a rented crowd claiming to be representatives of civil society organizations under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Liberties and Equity had attempted to stage a “protest”, calling for the removal of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde.

According to him, the group hinges its demand for Lamorde’s removal on alleged bias in the investigation and prosecution of Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa state and Steve Oronsaye, former Head of Service of the Federation. Uwujaren decries the attempt by the amorphous group to mislead Nigerians and distract the agency.

“My sincere advice to Nigerians is to ignore this so called CSOs. We should not allow a group of misguided elements to assault our collective sensibilities with a choreographed protest paid for by corrupt persons being prosecuted by the EFCC,” he added.

“The era when Nigerians were easily deceived by ‘rented crowd’ is over. Any discerning mind can see through the selfish motive of the group. Why is it that, they did not see any reason to call for the removal of Lamorde all these years until he moved against their patrons? What is the bias in charging a person indicted by a corruption investigation to court? Is Lamido or Oronsaye saying that they are innocent of the charges levied against them by the EFCC? Instead of visiting the indignity of the spectacle of rented CSOs on the nation, they should go and face their trial in court,”

It would be recalled that Lamido and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha alongside one Aminu Wada Abubakar are being prosecuted by the EFCC on 28-count charge of corruption and money laundering.

According to the charges before the court, they were arraigned alongside four companies: Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamiana Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminum Limited and Speeds International Limited.

EFCC stated that Lamido is said to have abused his position as governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015, by awarding contracts to companies where he has interest, using his two sons, as front.

On the other hand, Oronsaye and two others are facing a 24-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretence. The former Head of Service, who is alleged to have been complicit in several contract awards during his tenure as HoS, was charged along with Osarenkhoe Afe. They are alleged to have committed biometrics enrolment fraud to the tune of N2billion.

The alleged hired protesters for Lamido and Oronsaye are not the only contractors on this illicit job of protesting against trials of corrupt persons in Nigeria.

Last month, the premises of the Lagos Division of the Federal High on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, was flooded with loyalists to the Senator-elect for Ogun East Senatorial District,  Mr. Buruji Kashamu, in anticipation of his appearance in court.

The loyalists carried placards with several inscriptions such as: ‘We want Kashamu here in Nigeria;’ ‘Don’t steal our joy from us;’ ‘Don’t take Kashamu away from his people;’ ‘Kashamu is not a drug baron;’ ‘US, mind your business;’ ‘We want due process of law;’ ‘Obj leave Kashamu alone,’ and so on.

This was against the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s plan to bring Kashamu to court for extradition proceedings.

The agency, whose operatives had laid siege to Kashamu’s residence in Lagos for days, said it had received a formal extradition request on Kashamu from the government of the United States of America and was coming to court to secure an extradition order.

It claimed that Kashamu had been on the wanted list of both the US Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security.

Former state secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Yemi Akinwonmi, spoke on behalf of the protesters in court and described the move to extradite Kashamu as “a reckless display of power.”

Akinwonmi, challenged the NDLEA to present the extradition request it claimed to have received from the US, insisted that the extradition plot against Kashamu was purely political, adding that NDLEA had not secured any warrant to arrest Kashamu.

“Where is the extradition request? These people forget that the whole world is watching us. Where is it done all over the world that you are going to arrest a man, a highly placed person, a senator-elect, without a warrant of arrest? And you forced yourself into his house, into his private life and held him captive for the past 72 hours without any paper from the court of law,” he said.

“So, it is illegal, an abuse of abuse of power; a reckless power display.”

This protest however affected the court trial of Kashamu that day as the NDLEA did not bring Kashamu to court as announced. Instead, Head of Public Affairs, of the agency, Ofoyeju Mitchell released a fresh statement saying Kashamu had failed to turn himself over to its operatives, which was why he was not in court.

Mitchell said, “Senator-elect Buruji Kashamu has failed to appear in court from his house where he is being closely monitored by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. “The Agency is working hard to ensure that he submits himself to the due process of the law. His house remained cordoned by anti-narcotic officers pending his appearance in court.”

Scores of alleged hired students from across 13 higher institutions of learning in Ogun State also besieged the Abeokuta office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA ) to protest the continued occupation of the Lagos private residence of senator-elect, Prince Buruji Kashamu by armed operatives of the anti-narcotic agency, three days after two different courts ruled against the action.

The protesting students, at about 2:15p.m., arrived at the Oke-Ilewo GRA office of the NDLEA in several buses chanting solidarity songs urging the agency to release Kashamu and lift the siege on his private home. The students, carried placards with various inscriptions condemning the agency’s action against the Ogun East senator-elect, and blocked the entrance into the agency’s offices for over 20 minutes their protest lasted.

Some of the placards read: “NDLEA, allow justice to reign,” “Kashamu has been vindicated,” “Adoke, respect your profession,” “NDLEA is oppressive,” “NANS says no to NDLEA oppression,” “Buruji Kashamu must be free, he’s our man,” “Nigerians are not slaves to America,” “NDLEA, obey the rule of law” and others.

Throughout the duration of the protest, the gates to the NDLEA offices remained firmly locked and no official of the agency came out to address the students. At the end of their protest, the students threw the placards over the gate into the NDLEA premises.

After the protests, the next court day, Justice Ibrahim Buba, in a ruling however, declared the action of the NDLEA as subjudice and ordered the police to ensure that the NDLEA operatives immediately vacate Kashamu’s premises “without a free for all.”

Also, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos barred the NDLEA, other security agencies and government agencies from arresting Kashamu illegally for the purpose of effecting his extradition to the United States of America to answer drug related charges, without a warrant of arrest and due recourse to the Extradition Act. Justice Abang made the orders while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Kashamu to prevent his extradition.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the protesting students, Oriyomi Oloyede, who also claimed to be a youth leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, urged the NDLEA to respect the rule of law by heeding the judgments of the courts ordering the agency to let go of the embattled senator-elect.

Oloyede claimed that Kashamu had benefited the students and youths in the state much more than all other politicians in the state.

“We have mobilized across the 13 higher institutions across the state. We are here to tell the world that we are strongly behind Prince Buruji Kashamu. We are here to show our grievances against the insult and embarrassment being given to him by the NDLEA,” he said.

“He’s a man of honour, he has transformed lives. He has given life to the less privileged and gave hope to the hopeless. That’s why we are here to show solidarity with him. He has done so much for the students more than any other politician, including those in government in the state.”

In the case of Salami former judge handling the tribunal case of the then ACN and PDP during the tribunal trial of the election petition, it took the whole police to stop hired protesters from entering the National Assembly. The hired protesters were calling for his reinstatement after he was expelled by the NJC

This time, protesters, under the aegis of National Frontiers, tried to stage a protest against the suspension of President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, at the National Assembly complex, Abuja, but were stopped by security men from doing so.

They also called on the then President Goodluck Jonathan to reinstate Justice Salami in order to avoid the Libyan predicament in the nation. Mobile policemen attached to the National Assembly complex did not only refuse the protesters entry but also prevented them from protesting in front of the complex.

Leader of the protesters and former president of the National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, Mr. Wole Badmus, said “Justice Salami should be reinstated; unless that is done, what happened in Libya will repeat itself in Nigeria .This is injustice and injustice to one is injustice to all.”

According to him, a protest letter would be handed over to the Senate in request of President Goodluck Jonathan to reverse the removal of Justice Ayo Salami who was asked to vacate his office as President of Court of Appeal, following recommendations by National Judicial Council, NJC. Although the protest was crippled by the presence of stern looking mobile policemen, the protesters flaunted their placards without reservation. As usual, they carried placards which read: “Say no to Banana Republic; say no to indiscriminate suspension!” “Judiciary on trial”, Democracy on trial!” “Salami, a victim of conscience, reinstates him now!” “Justice Salami, NJC suspends-Jonathan endorsed!” and “An injustice to one is an injustice to all, re-instate Justice Salami now”.

With this practice, Nigerians have fallen so low in the fight against corruption by supporting corrupt persons while shouting crucify corruption. Most of the hired protest crowds are cheap to rent in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Ogun and other states.

 When Bode George, a chieftain of PDP was released from Kirikiri prison it turned to a festive reception organized by PDP officials as well as hangers-on and some who protested against his trials

It was gathered that George left the prison as early 5:30 am but the PDP chieftain decided to wait until his rented crowd had arrived before departing the prison premises.

Mr. George’s release and the subsequent fanfare that greeted it led to outrage amongst Nigerians who instantly began a text message campaign condemning the party and political leaders who organized a church reception for him.

A Lagos high court judge had sentenced Mr. George to a two-year jail term after convicting him on multiple corruption charges. The court found Mr. George and five other members of the board of the Nigerian Port Authority guilty of contract inflation and embezzlement. But the Supreme Court later quashed the sentence and freed George of corruption charges.

A Lagos-based lawyer described the celebration of Mr. George’s release as “obscene and shameless.” The celebration by some Nigerians went viral on social media. One of the social media messages read: "Fellow Nigerians, as we speak, Bode George, erstwhile and convicted chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, is being released from jail after serving two years jail sentence. Ordinarily this would not attract any attention but for the pomp and fanfare that is being currently displayed by some shameless people as if he's coming back from somewhere else but jail. PDP flags are flying all over the place; I gathered that even Mr. President has said his party, the PDP, will send a high powered delegation to welcome him,” the message added

“This has shown that neither Jonathan nor PDP is interested in stamping out corruption in this country. It is clear now that only the citizens of this country can free themselves from the shackles of corruption and under-development. Tell everybody you know to do whatever they can legitimately to frustrate this shameless display of insensitivity

“The message these vipers are sending to the youths of this country is that corruption pays and that it is okay to steal public funds and abuse position of trust."

Not done yet, Ibori UK trial didn’t go without rented crowd or demonstrators in London in favour of Ibori. All the protesters were Nigerians and their foreign neighbours and friends they managed convinced in joining them for the illicit protest. It was gathered that £100, was paid per "protester"

It was reported that associates of James Ibori and friends of his mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo, bought crowd to demonstrate at the premises of the Southwark Crown Court in London under the aegis of "Amalgamated Deltans" in the United Kingdom.

The event was aimed at portraying Ibori as a victim of the "colonial British" hegemony to persecute Ibori allegedly because of his proposition to have Niger Delta indigenes control their resources.

Each participant in the 'protest' was allegedly paid £100   by the coordinator, who is referred to simply as "Matt".

Some Nigerians staged a counter protest and every participant was arrived the scene with a crate of egg. The pro-Ibori protest gained some momentum because some Nigerians resident in UK were hired to demonstrate.

“If we continue like this, then, every rich man who has stolen so much can be able to hire all Nigerians to protest for him and gain freedom from prosecution,” Barrister Bernard Ukwuoma quipped.

“Pay people to shut up about your ills, but instead speak only well and praises you are becoming a common factor in Nigeria,” Deacon Chinedu Onyia added.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, has thrown a strong challenge to Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, in the country to look inwards and fully support the anti-graft agency in its concerted efforts aimed at ridding the country of economic and financial crimes.

The comments of the agency’s boss, which were made at a Share Fair workshop, tagged “Fulfilling its mandate: Government Leading Anti-Corruption Efforts”, organized by the CLEEN Foundation, held on August 11, 2015 at the auditorium of the Bolton White Hotel, in Abuja, comes on the heels of an orchestrated “protest” staged at the premises of the EFCC Abuja office, recently, which was carried out by a rented crowd claiming to be representatives of CSOs in the country, under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Liberties and Equity.

Represented by the agency’s Director of Operations, Olaolu Adegbite, he noted that it was essential for the society at large, including the CSOs, to see themselves as partners with the EFCC, in the war on corruption.

“We believe in engaging with the civil society groups, as well as non-governmental organizations, but the events in question, where a group of protesters caused a melodrama at the premises of the agency, accusing the agency of prosecuting corrupt individuals in the country, was most shocking,” he added.

 “It has therefore got to a point, where we now have to sieve those who are partners in progress, from those who though parade themselves as civil society organizations, are actually tools in the hands of some corrupt individuals in the country that we are investigating and prosecuting.”

Lamorde noted that the commission receives tones of petitions every year, “but we go through every one of them, and those that are based on frivolous accusations, we throw away, but those which after investigation, we come up with facts, we pursue them.”

The Share Fair workshop, which was organized in partnership with the Campaign for Good Governance, Partners for Democratic Change, Institute for War and Peace Reporting, and BudgIT, provided yet another platform to further highlight the ills of corruption on the ordinary citizen, as well as fashion out ways of ensuring victory over the scourge.

Abdul Rahman Mansaray, a senior prosecutor with Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission, shed light on efforts the commission had made in curbing corruption in the country. Describing corruption as a monster that deprives people of better life, he said, “It is essential to have the political will to fight corruption, as this is the starting point, and luckily for us in Sierra Leone, there is that will to prosecute the corruption war.” He further noted that President Ernest Bai Koroma gave the commission the much needed independence, because, "we prosecute cases without having to wait to receive a go-ahead from the Attorney General of the Federation."

Adedayo Kayode, head of the Investigative unit of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, who represented the commission’s boss, Ekpo Nta, noted that prevention was very essential in the corruption war. “Prevention is essential, but it must be balanced with prosecution,” he said.

Joe Abah, director general, Bureau of Public Service Reforms, stressed the importance of the Freedom of Information Act, urging Nigerians to utilize it as part of their contributions in checking corruption in the society.

“The most important tool in the corruption war is perhaps the Freedom of Information Act, and in my view, it is the most powerful with the exception of the Nigerian Constitution, which all Nigerians must take advantage of,” he said.