Former EFFC Boss, Lamorde Should be Tracked Down to Answer Allegations Against Him, Says Senate Committee on Ethics

Former boss of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Larmode can run but cannot hide.
This is the thinking of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Thursday as it recommended that a warrant of arrest be issued against the runaway Lamorde over alleged diversion of N1 trillion recovered by the commission.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East), who spoke while delivering the report of his Committee on the petition by one George Uboh on the alleged diversion of the recovered funds, said Lamorde should be tracked down anywhere he is to account for the said money.
Uboh had in his petition accused Lamorde of diverting 95 percent of EFCC’s recoveries in foreign currencies.
In another allegation, Udoh had said that EFCC under Lamorde colluded with real estate companies to undervalue seized assets before they were sold to their cronies.
He alleged that half of the assets seized from suspects by the EFCC were not reflected in the commission’s exhibit records.
The Committee Chairman said Uboh appeared before his Committee during sitting to defend his claims but that the former EFCC boss refused to appear.
He said having waited for the appearance of Lamorde since 24th November, 2015, his Committee concluded that the former EFCC boss was running away from investigation.
According to Anyanwu, ”Consequently, the Committee reasoned that the way to get the former EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde to appear before it was to invoke the powers of the Senate in section 89 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and compel his attendance. Unless this is done, the National Assembly might be drawn into consequential disrepute in the future,” he said.
But the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu raised point of order, citing sections 88 & 89 of 1999 Constitution, saying the issue should not be discussed on the floor.
“So what is required here is for the Committee to issue a warrant of arrest and then the President of the Senate will direct the Police to effect the arrest. It is not the business of the senate during the plenary to do so. Otherwise, we will be offending this part of the constitution,” he said.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki sustained Ekweremadu’s point of order and asked the committee to oblige.