Why Senate Can't Order Arrest Of Former EFCC Chairman Who Allegedly Stole N4trn

A court injunction has stalled the arrest of the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde who was alleged to have stolen a total sum of N4 trillion, by the Nigerian Senate.

According to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the former anti-graft boss has obtained a court injunction to stop his arrest.

Anyanwu, who stated this during an interview with Punch, also said the Senate would pursue the case as soon as the injunction is lifted, saying that the committee has already hired a seasoned lawyer.

The senate had early this year, requested its Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions panel to issue an arrest warrant for Lamorde who had failed to appear before the committee to answer questions on a petition written against him by one George Uboh.

In his petition, Uboh had accused Lamorde of diverting more than N1 trillion while he served as the EFCC chairman.

“The probe of Ibrahim Lamorde, the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, is still ongoing in the Senate. As a committee, we have completed our work and we sent the report to the Senate and the House gave a recommendation that the committee should put up a letter of warrant of arrest which we did to the Senate President to sign”, Anyanwu said.

“But while doing that, we received a court injunction restraining the Senate from going ahead with the arrest pending the time that the substantive suit would be heard. Our lawyers have been going for the matter.”

“We have given them (lawyers), all relevant documents regarding to that. At that point, we cannot be a lawmaker and be a law breaker at the same time because we have mutual respect for each arm of the government.”

“By the time the injunction is removed by the court, the warrant will be issued on him and he will come and face his trial because nobody is above the law.”