Nuhu Ribadu, has said that thieves worse than convicted former
Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, are walking free in the country
"There are worse people than James Ibori in Nigeria. Probably, he was
not the smartest one among them, but there are some crooks worse than
James and I still see them. Some of them are even being celebrated
right now in our country," Ribadu said in a recent interview withZero
Tolerance, a magazine published by the EFCC's media unit. Ibori is
serving a 13-year jail sentence in the UK after a Southwark Crown
Court 9 in London, on April 17, 2012, found him guilty of stealing and
laundering billions of naira of Delta state money.
The former governor, who led Delta state between 1999 and 2007, was
first investigated by the EFCC under Ribadu and later, under Farida
Waziri.
Ribadu's unceremonious exit from the post was largely blamed on the
Ibori case as the former governor was a major backer of the then
President, Umaru Yar'adua.
The case soon went cold after Ribadu's removal, amid allegations that
Ibori was shielded by the government with the support of the EFCC.
Waziri, who took over from Ribadu, has denied that claim in a separate
interview with the same magazine.
She said it was her pursuit of Ibori that forced him out of the
country to the United Arab Emirate, where he was eventually arrested
and repatriated to Britain to face charges.
The Ibori case stirred further controversy after former President
Olusegun Obasanjo told the same EFCC magazine that Waziri was
appointed on Ibori's recommendation. Again, Waziri denied that claim.
While Ribadu is widely regarded as the best hand yet to have headed
the anti-graft agency, his critics say he was manipulated by Obasanjo
to go after the former president's political enemies. In his
interview, Obasanjo dismissed that suggestion and spoke highly his
achievements, but scathingly faulted Mrs. Waziri.
Ribadu said there were and still are, smarter criminals who did more
damage to the fight against corruption in Nigeria than Ibori.
He said while he fought corruption passionately and diligently, he
never took the effort personal as he strove to do only what was
expected of him as a law enforcement officer.
He also said there were people who he investigated and brought to
justice who attempted to do more damage to him than the former Delta
governor.
"James was not different from all others; and while doing this type of
work, they will fight you back. I have seen a lot of fighting back all
my life, and that of James was not as bad as the others. His own was
very public that is why. There are those that even attempted to kill
me who are still out there. This is the type of work that when you do,
you must expect a thing like that," Ribadu said.
He criticised some judges, while also commending others. He said many
criminals in Nigeria escape justice with the connivance of some
judges. He said while Ibori was acquitted of 170 charges by a judge,
another Federal High Court Judge "sent him to prison for two and a
half months."
Ribadu, now a stalwart of the opposition, All Progressives Congress,
APC, and the Presidential flag bearer of the defunct Action Congress
of Nigeria, in the 2011 election, also explained the circumstances
that led to the arrest and prosecution of a former Inspector General
of Police, Tafa Balogun. He said the former IGP "crossed the line."
"Whoever crosses the line will be dealt with, whether a constable or
an IGP, it is the same thing. The solution is not to cross the line,"
he said.
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