Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, a well-known human rights attorney, reportedly explained his stance about the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC) purported failure to arrest former Zamfara State governors Bello Mattawale and Alhaji Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari. Ozekhome reportedly chastised the EFCC for not acting against the former governors, according to earlier reports. He has, however, vehemently denied these accusations, claiming that his remarks were misquoted.
In the course of his explanation, Ozekhome stressed the value of following the law and brought up a connected issue involving Kogi State's Yahaya Bello, another former governor. In February 2024, Bello was granted a court restraining order, which forbids the EFCC from holding him in custody for the duration of the order.
Ozekhome emphasized that upholding these legal safeguards is essential to preserving the rule of law. Ozekhome's comments are made in the midst of continuing discussions concerning the EFCC's function and its compliance with court orders in well-known instances. He underlined the possible repercussions of disobeying court orders in the name of law enforcement, pleading with the public and the media to discern between subjective prejudices and sound legal justifications.
He declared: “I know you hate Bello but calm down and separate emotions from logic. You cannot disobey a court order simply because you want to enforce the law.
“In February 2024, Yahaya Bello approached a high court in Kogi state and was granted a restraining order, you do not expect him submit himself to EFCC when the restraining order is still valid.