The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, Lawal Pedro (SAN), has clarified why Lagos has not joined other states in challenging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act at the Supreme Court.
According to Pedro, such involvement would amount to an abuse of the court process.
Pedro provided this explanation during a Strategic Management Meeting with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and other stakeholders held in Ikeja.
He highlighted that Lagos State had already established its own public complaints and anti-corruption agency through a state law, designed to combat corruption within the state.
The EFCC and the Federal Attorney General, however, have challenged the Lagos law at the Supreme Court.
Pedro emphasized that joining the ongoing matter would be duplicative given that the state already has a pending case on the issue.
“Yes, the federal government has the power to enact laws to combat corruption, but this power is limited,” Pedro said.
He explained that while federal agencies, including the EFCC and the police, can investigate state offences, the actual prosecution must be overseen by the state Attorney General.
Any prosecution by these federal agencies is done under the authority of the state Attorney General, Pedro added, even as he dismissed speculations that Lagos State’s decision was influenced by political affiliations, particularly the fact that the President is from Lagos.
He insisted that the state’s actions are guided by legal principles, not politics.
The Supreme Court’s decision on the challenge is still pending, and Pedro expressed hope for a resolution soon, which would enable the state’s anti-corruption agency to fully operate.
Meanwhile, he noted that Lagos State maintains a collaborative relationship with the EFCC, allowing prosecutions of state offences to proceed with the state’s interests in mind.
