Below is a statement of claim from Festus Keyamo Chambers. Read below..
1. The Plaintiff is a Commissioner of Police and currently the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The Plaintiff has had a distinguished career having joined the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as the pioneer Director of Operations in 2003 and by dint of hard work and integrity rose to be the Chairman of the anti-graft agency.
2. The Defendant is the Proprietor and Publisher of a popular Newspaper called Daily Sun which enjoys wide circulation and readership in Nigeria and abroad.
3. The Plaintiff avers that as a function of his position, he is at the forefront of the fight against corruption in Nigeria and he has successfully investigated and prosecuted several corrupt individuals in Nigeria.
4. The Plaintiff further avers that as a result of his exceptional career, he has received several awards and commendations from organizations across the world and is recognized by international organizations as a leading light on Nigeria’s fight against corruption.
5. The Plaintiff further avers that in its Daily Sun Newspaper of Thursday, 8th October, 2015, the Defendant falsely and maliciously caused to be printed and published the following words of and concerning the Plaintiff:
“N1TRN LOOTED FUNDS LAMORDE, EFCC BOSS, IN SOUP”
6. The Plaintiff further avers that at page 6 of its Daily Sun Newspaper of Thursday, 8th October, 2015, the Defendant falsely and maliciously caused to be printed and published the following words of and concerning the Plaintiff as an elaboration of the above stated headline:
“CHAIRMAN of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde, is presently being investigated over allegations of diversion of over N1 trillion from the sale of confiscated properties belonging to convicted public officials including former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyesiegha and former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, among many others.
Daily Sun gathered that the Presidency's searchlight had actually been on the EFCC following complaints and reports that EFCC operatives were notoriously letting some financial crimes suspects off the hook rather than prosecute them.
The decision to launch a full-scale investigation, however, started after one George Uboh appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on August 23 where he alleged that Lamorde dipped his hands into the said funds.
It was gathered that after his appearance at the Senate, the Presidency picked interest in the matter and directed the Office of the National Special Adviser (NSA) to commence investigations into the allegations.
A National Assembly source said thereafter, the NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd) reportedly swung into action.
"Series of complaints against Lamorde is his perceived slack supervision of his operatives. There have been series of allegations that operatives collect bribe from suspects and let them off the hook rather than investigate allegations thoroughly.
"This investigation is not a witch-hunt...It is meant to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they are no mere allegations but, they are weighty enough to warrant presidential scrutiny."
In his petition to the Senate, Uboh said the fraud allegedly perpetrated by Larmode dated back to his days as the Director of Operations of the EFCC between 2003 and 2007, as well as an acting Chairman of the commission between June 2007 and May 2008, when the then chairman of the anti-graft agency, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, was away for a course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos.
Uboh, Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security Systems, a security firm, in his petition dated July 31 accused Lamorde of some specific instances of under-remittance and non-disclosure of proceeds of corruption recovered from criminal suspects, including Balogun and A
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