Senate Issues Final Warning To Lamorde

The Nigerian Senate has issued the final warning to Ibrahim Lamorde, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Its committee on ethics, privileges and public said that Lamorde must appear before it or face sanctions. Former EFCC boss was scheduled to come to Senate committee in August, but he failed to do so. Festus Keyamo, the lawyer of Lamorde clarified that his client nonappearance was due to some health problems. According to him Lamorde, who is being blamed for diversion of funds, was abroad for medical reasons. Meanwhile, Samuel Anyanwu, head of the committee, restated that former EFCC boss must appear before it on a final date, which is November 24. Dino Melaye, a member of the committee, who was also speaking on the development, stated that committee had the powers to summon the former EFCC, stressing that its constitutional powers must not be dented. He cautioned that the senate should not be forced into releasing a bench warrant for the arrest of Lamorde. Obinna Ogba, another member of the committee, defined Lamorde’s failure to come before the committee as an abuse to the National Assembly. “Enough is enough,”he said. However, Keyamo faulted the statements of the committee, adding that Lamorde had become a private citizen whom the senate had no jurisdiction over. “The senate has no jurisdiction over private citizens. Lamorde’s failure to appear before the committee is because he thought as a private citizen the case has ended with his exit from the EFCC,”he said. “The senate doesn’t know it powers. I will do all I can to correct this. The senate has no power to summon a private citizen for investigation.”