The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has threatened to file a libel suit against the duo of Yinka Odumakin and Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation, over alleged propagation of fake news
This was contained in a statement released by the commission on Tuesday.
EFCC claimed that the duo have made allegations which are not correct against it.
It particularly made reference to the posts from the two personalities which accused the EFCC of surrounding the house of Walter Onnoghen, Chief Justice of Nigeria, with the primary aim of arresting him.
The statement read: “The attention of EFCC has been drawn to the falsehood which has been spreading on the social media that the EFCC has arrested the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen. This is not only a figment of the imagination of the purveyor of the fake news, but an evil machination by the creator and carriers of the news aimed at creating anarchy in the country.
“For the record, the EFCC never went to the house of the CJN for arrest, neither was invitation extended to him.
“Several calls and short messages received all point to the fact that the brains behind the fake news had one thing in mind: to act as agent of destabilization. We would not give in to their plots.
“One of the architects of the fake news, Femi Fani-Kayode, was quoted as saying ‘Why have the EFCC surrounded the home of CJN Onnoghen and why are they seeking to arrest him? These people want Nigeria to burn! Buhari call off your dogs before it is too late! This is a democracy and not a gestapo state! In the name of God let this madness stop’.
“Another arrowhead of the fake news, Yinka Odumakin, shared a non-existent video which has gone viral.
We want to assure Nigerians that while we would fight corruption in line with the mandate setting up the Commission, agents of darkness, in the likes of Femi Fani-Kayode, Yinka Odumakin and his cohorts, would never be able to manipulate the people against the Commission.
“We also want to assure Fani-Kayode, Yinka Odumakin and other purveyors of the evil news to be ready to defend their actions in the court of law as the EFCC will file libel suit against them without further delay.”
Onnoghen has denied the claims that his home was raided by the EFCC.
Awassam Bassey, the Senior Special Adviser to the CJN on media said: “I really don’t know where they got the information from. So many media men were here earlier with cameras over the same report. But what I can tell you for now is that there was no such thing. It is false news”.
