The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said its visit to the residence of Justice Ita Mbaba of the Court of Appeal in Kano had nothing to do with any investigation of the judge.
Recall that earlier on Wednesday, the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Adesina Adegbite, had raised an alarm on the invasion of the residence of the judge, on his twitter handle.
His tweet read: “Armed operatives who claimed to be from EFCC invaded the premises of the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Kano Division in the early hours of this morning. When will this madness stop? We will surely not let this slide. #impunitymustend”
However, according to a statement by the commission’s spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the visit to Mbaba’s home had to do with a verification exercise of the property’s owner. The name of the said owner was not given.
The EFCC full statement, titled, Justice Italy Mbaba not under EFCC’s investigations reads: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to some reports in the Social Media, alleging that its operatives, in the Kano Zonal Command, “invaded” the residence of the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Kano Division, Honourable Justice Ita Mbaba, located on Sheik Yusuf Adam Game street, off Race Cross Road, Nassarawa Government Reservation Area, Kano.
“While it is true that operatives of the Commission visited the property housing Hon. Justice Mbaba, on a Property Verification Exercise, owing to a subsisting matter involving the owner of the property, there is no truth, linkage or nexus with any investigation of the Honourable Justice of the Court of Appeal. Available facts showed that Hon. Justice Mbaba is not the owner of the property and could, therefore, not be the subject of any investigation by the Commission.
“We wish to restate that Hon. Justice Ita Mbaba is not under any investigation by the EFCC. The Commission holds the Judiciary in optimum respect and will do nothing to embarrass any officer of the court.”