Ribadu was dismissed from the police following controversial circumstances in 2008. He was to flee the country after two failed assassination attempts on him.
Against the backdrop of some insinuations that he got back his rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in 2010 out of magnanimity, the former EFCC boss said he actually won the case against the government on rash action taken against him.
Speaking at a public lecture to mark the official opening of a new law office of a renowned Lagos lawyer, Mr Tayo Oyetibo, Ribadu said it was Mr Oyitebo who handled the case on his behalf.
Describing the case as one of Oyitebo’s “many historic victories,” Ribadu recalled that the lawyer succeeded in having “ the decision reversed and my ranks restored.” He said the action of Oyetibo was “ a huge favour, which I may never be able to repay, except with these tokens of gratitude.
“I am here today, not just to honour my brother, Mr Oyetibo, but to sincerely express a depth of gratitude for his selfless contributions to my personal and public service career. My relationship with this remarkable lawyer is one for which I must forever remain grateful. He stood by me, believed in my causes while I was at EFCC and dedicated his time and resources to representing us pro bono.”
Ribadu also recalled contributions of several other legal practitioners, who supported his tenure at the EFCC and beyond, as well as some operatives of the commission who payed the supreme price in their lines of duty.
He said without sacrifices and support of those individuals, the commission, then under his leadership, might not have recorded as much successes as it did within the six years of his stewardship at the EFCC.
“I want to seize this opportunity to thank the brilliant lawyers and brothers who stood for us and provided us with their free legal services at the EFCC, especially at the time we were under tremendous pressures in our struggles to carry out assignments considered impossible by detractors. These are distinguished lawyers and models for the practising and aspiring lawyers.
“I will forever remain indebted to the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, his chamber and family, for standing by us and representing us in courts without asking for a kobo.
Chief Fawehinmi was swift in challenging the decision to have me vacating office for a course at Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Study (NIPSS).
“The sacrifices of Mr Femi Falana and chamber, including his successful defence of the case filed against me by the then Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Michael Aondoakaa at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over a false claim of my failure to fill out the asset declaration form as a public servant, were also favours no man can ever repay. This was among the many cases Mr Falana successfully handled for me and the EFCC at no cost of ours, while I was in charge.
“I must also thank my friend and classmate, Mr Charles Musa, his chamber and my younger brother, Mr Ahmed Uwais and chamber, who participated in these historic struggles of my career and invested their time and resources for my sake and that of the nation. I must also commend the Nigerian judiciary for being the shade under which our hope was restored. We don’t come across kind-hearted people like them everyday.
“Similarly, I wish to remember some of our hardworking colleagues and brothers who got lost in the struggle for redemption of our beloved nation — Muazu, our forensic expert, who was killed in the presence of his family; Danjuma Mohammed, also lost in similar inhuman state,at his residence at Apo, Abuja; M. Abba, who was burnt alive in Abuja inside his car. It can’t be worse than that. These were evil ploys carried out by enemies of the nation to have us cowed.”
TRIBUNE
No comments:
Post a Comment