Lanre Isa-Onilu, the newly-appointed Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and former APC National Publicity Secretary, sheds light on why President Bola Tinubu hasn’t initiated a probe against ex-President Muhammadu Buhari. In an interview with Sun, Onilu asserts that no sitting president is inherently tasked with probing predecessors, emphasizing the need for Nigerians to submit petitions to the EFCC for such investigations.
Onilu draws attention to the case of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, suggesting that if there are allegations against Buhari, it’s the court’s role to establish them.
He states, “What I want to hear is that there have been petitions submitted to the EFCC or ICPC, and they refused to work on them.”
While addressing the process of probing previous governments, Onilu notes, “I am not saying anybody can probe anybody. I am only telling you of the process.”
He highlighted the responsibility of lawyers to present evidence in court if they contend that someone else, like Buhari, should be held accountable instead of Emefiele.
On the arrest of Emefiele, Onilu states, “It is left for the lawyers to prove that he was just a messenger.” He points out that the legal system should determine whether Emefiele is culpable and urges Nigerians to take action if they believe there’s a case to answer.
In the broader context, Onilu questions the actions of Nigerians, especially those with evidence of alleged corruption by Buhari. He cites the arrest of Bawa, the former chairman of anti-corruption agents, under the same government, emphasizing that accountability measures have been taken.
