The Benue State Government in Nigeria has officially withdrawn from a suit challenging the constitutionality of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) currently before the Supreme Court.
The withdrawal was confirmed in an application dated October 23 and signed by Mr. Fidelis Mnyim, representing the Benue State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order. This development was reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.
The statement in the application reads, “Take notice that the Attorney General of Benue State, who is the 8th plaintiff, hereby discontinues this suit against the Attorney General of the Federation, the defendant.”
The original suit was initially filed by 19 states challenging the legality of the EFCC and other anti-graft bodies. However, Benue’s Governor Hyacinth Alia recently suspended Attorney General Mnyim, who had joined Benue in the lawsuit without the governor’s approval. According to Alia, “The suspension was necessitated by Mnyim’s ultra vires decision to join the state in a suit challenging the legality of anti-graft agencies, namely the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission.”
Governor Alia emphasized the importance of consultation, stating, “No appointee is permitted to act unilaterally. No matter how pressing or urgent the issue is, one must resort to due consultations with me or appropriately brief me and seek my permission before acting, especially in a sensitive matter.”
Alia underscored his administration’s commitment to tackling corruption, noting, “My administration is holding accountable those who embezzled money and drained our state dry. The EFCC and ICPC are assisting us in this effort,” He said.
