Ogun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, SAN, has addressed ongoing media reports inaccurately suggesting that the state is involved in a legal challenge against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Supreme Court.
In a statement on Monday, Ogungbade expressed confusion over why certain media outlets continue to link Ogun State with a lawsuit against the EFCC. “We don’t have a suit against the EFCC. We have never filed any action challenging its constitutionality,” he clarified, reiterating a previous statement made last week.
He emphasized that while the state respects the rights of others to pursue such legal challenges, Ogun State has not participated in any lawsuits regarding the EFCC. “The documents we have filed are public records open to scrutiny, so I’m surprised some media are still reporting otherwise,” he noted, urging media outlets to correct the record.
The Ogun State government previously issued a rebuttal through Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, asserting that the constitutionality of the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission had already been confirmed by the Supreme Court. The state considers the matter closed and sees no factual basis for reopening discussions.
Ogungbade clarified that the actual case Ogun State has filed (SC/CV/912/2024) does not challenge the EFCC’s constitutionality but seeks to invalidate the NFIU Guidelines and Advisory issued in January 2023, which he argues interfere with the economic and governance interests of the state and its local governments.
The attorney-general’s comments come amid a backdrop of other states, including Kogi and Benue, either pursuing or withdrawing from similar cases against the EFCC, highlighting the complex legal landscape surrounding this issue.
