Supreme Court dismisses suit by 19 States challenging constitutionality of EFCC, ICPC, NFIU

The Supreme Court, on Friday, dismissed the suit instituted by 19 states against the Attorney-General of the Federation, challenging the constitutionality of the Acts establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and two other anti-corruption agencies.

The plaintiffs had argued that the Supreme Court, in Dr Joseph Nwobike Vs Federal Republic of Nigeria, had held that it was a UN Convention Against Corruption that was reduced into the EFCC Establishment Act and that in enacting the law in 2004, the provision of Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, was not followed.

They argued that, in bringing a Convention into the Nigerian law, the provision of Section 12 must be complied with.

According to them, the provision of the Constitution necessitated the majority of the states’ Houses of Assembly agreeing to bringing the Convention in before passing the EFCC Act and others, which was allegedly never done