Nigerian Lawyer Sues EFCC For Refusing To Release Forensic Result Of Ganduje Bribe-taking Videos

Posted by Thandiubani on Wed 06th Mar, 2019 - tori.ng

A lawyer has dragged the EFCC to court over refusal to release forensic results of Ganduje bribe-taking videos.

Ganduje

A human rights lawyer, Audu Bulama-Bukarti, has approached a federal high court seeking to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to release results of the forensic analysis the commission carried out on the video clips showing Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state allegedly receiving a bribe.

On February 11, Mr Bulama-Bukarti had written to the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, demanding the certified true copies of the result of a forensic analysis carried out by the commission within and outside the country.

In a letter titled: “Application for Certified True Copy of Result of Forensic Investigation of Video Clips Allegedly Showing Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State Receiving Bribe” and addressed to Mr Magu, the lawyer gave the commission seven-day ultimatum to make the copies available to him or face legal action.

“I humbly write under Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 to request for a certified true copy of the Result of the Forensic Analysis you conducted into the Video clips released by Daily Nigerian online newspapers between 14th and 15th October 2018 allegedly showing Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje receiving bribe.

“As you may recall, you informed me publicly on the 23rd of November 2018 at Queen Mary University of London that you were in London to, among other things, perform forensic analysis of the said videos.

“It is against the foregoing that I make this application.

“I am happy to pay such processing fees as you may charge for the preparation of the said document.

“Finally, may I remind you that by and under Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, you have 7 days within which to avail me of this information, failing which I shall not hesitate to proceed under the relevant provisions of the Act,” Mr Bukarti wrote.

As the said ultimatum elapsed, Mr Bulama-Bukarti, in a suit filed on March 4 before the Federal High Court sitting in Kano, wanted the court to, among others, “compel the Respondent to, within 7 days of the judgement herein, furnish the Applicant with a Certified True Copy of the result of its forensic analysis into the video clips allegedly showing Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State receiving bribe as requested by Applicant via his letter dated 11 February 2019 and as provided for by and under section 2 (4) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.”