Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke pending the outcome of the investigations of fraud leveled against them.

These suspensions sent shock waves that reverberated across the nation, especially in the case of the SGF who had previously been cleared by the Presidency in January in a letter to a Senate ad-hoc committee which was investigating the misuse of funds for the humanitarian crisis in the North-East which was caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.

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That letter was a shock to many, including supporters of the President who saw it as evidence that his anti-corruption crusade did not extend to those close to him.

But it is not just enough to suspend them – although the President has inaugurated a three-man panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to investigate the allegations, the proper thing will be to allow the anti-graft agencies charged with investigation and prosecution of such matters to take the lead.

If President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade is going to be effective, it must be all-encompassing without fear or favour, and not just members of the past administration. He must also give and be seen to give anti-corruption agencies the backing to investigate everyone, including those close to him.

There are still members of his government with corruption allegations against them: for example, his Chief of Staff Abba Kyari has been accused of receiving a N500m bribe from the telecoms giant MTN in order to have the fine slapped on them by regulator Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reduced. An investigation into the allegations was ordered by the Presidency in October last year, and nothing has been heard ever since.

Also, two key ministers of his government who are also former governors, Babatunde Fashola and Rotimi Amaechi of Power, Works and Housing, and Transport respectively also have been accused of financial improprieties during their governorship tenures. There are also allegations of corruption against the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen TY Buratai, in relation to properties he owns in Dubai.

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While it might be extreme to expect their removal based only on allegations, it is crucial that the allegations should not be swept under the carpet. Doing so will only strengthen the beliefs that being prosecuted for corruption is only reserved those not on the President’s good side.

Also, as we have pointed out in several editorials, fighting corruption goes beyond just making arrests. There needs to be thorough investigation prior to the arrests in order to ensure that the cases are watertight, and for diligent prosecution. The recent spate of failures with regards to high-profile corruption cases such as the acquittal of Justice Adeniyi Ademola and the unfreezing of the bank account of former First Lady Patience Jonathan has made it look like anti-graft agencies are more interested in the applause from arrests, rather than securing convictions.

There is also need for the Presidency to prioritize bills before the National Assembly that are related to corruption and financial crimes in order to strengthen the anti-corruption crusade.

Nigerians continue to watch closely how it proceeds with regards to the SGF and the NIA DG. We hope that at the end, a strong message is sent to everyone regarding zero tolerance for corruption.

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