The Oyo State government has said the arrest of its Accountant General, Alhaji Gafar Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is unconstitutional.
The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, said this in a statement in Ibadan, the state capital, on Tuesday.
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Daily Trust reports that some online media houses had reported that the accountant general was arrested on Friday and released on Monday over alleged diversion of public funds.
Olatunbosun described the arrest as a desperate and malicious attempt at thwarting a case already filed at the Federal High Court, Ibadan, which he said was heard on yesterday.
“We would like to put it on record that by virtue of section 128 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, unless and until the Oyo State House of Assembly reports or exposes any corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it to the Executive Governor of Oyo State and Commissioner for Finance, section 6 (h) of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004 (as amended) cannot be triggered.
“The Oyo State House of Assembly has not made any such reports and thus the actions so far by the EFCC and the EFCC chairman are unconstitutional and ultra-vires,” he said.
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