The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is now probing big presidential contenders, including former heads of state Ibrahim Babangida and Mohammadu Buhari, and Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a move that could easily scuttle the ambitions of these powerful Nigerians.
Among those the EFCC is probing are "former Heads of State, present leadership, almost everybody from the President, no exception," Ribadu said in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust yesterday.
But media consultant to Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mallam Garba Shehu, said in reaction yesterday that Atiku challenges anybody who has any case of corruption against him to make it public. He said the position of the Vice President has always been that he is not afraid of any probe because he has not done anything wrong.
When asked to specify how the EFCC will go about the investigations, Ribadu said "first, we are not bothered with individuals, we are going to work across and we will cover all directions. For example, if you are in public office today and you want to seek re-election , we will check your assets declaration to identify where there are discrepancies."
Where breaches are found, the concerned public office holder, he said, would be unfit to hold public office.
"If you were in public office before and today you are not in public office, we will revisit what you have done before and if there is something you cannot explain, we will make it public.
"We do not have powers to stop anybody from becoming an aspirant, but we will relate with political parties and tell them that there are people we have checked and the things we found. It will be the business of the political parties to go ahead and field such people.
"But we may charge them to court and you will be faced with a candidate who will be going through criminal trials and election at the same time. It is your business to allow them to be your candidate but we will advise the political parties against it. Nigeria does not deserve to have corrupt leaders."
He said the EFCC probe will focus on corrupt enrichment, verification of asset, breach of asset declaration and abuse of office, among other offences.
Ribadu said the essence of the investigation is to ensure that leaders, both past and present, who might have stolen public funds do not turn round to seek public office.
Part of the EFCC'S cleansing efforts ahead of the 2007 polls, according to Ribadu, is that it will charge serving governors suspected of corrupt practices and other related crimes to court.
He said the Commission already has incontrovertible evidence against the concerned governors and will confiscate their assets before taking them to court.
The EFCC will work closely with state Houses of Assembly concerned in order to follow due process.
Ribadu said the anti corruption war will not spare anybody, adding that he was ready to lay down his life in the fight. "We are not afraid of anybody because this country is worth dying for."
"Nobody will be above the law again in this country. We know before that leaders did what they liked; they stole billions. We have a leader in Nigeria who stole billions of dollars, but the money was recovered. We have leaders who killed their friends to remain in power. So we also can fight to make sure that such people stay out of power.
When asked when the leaders will be arraigned, Ribadu said, " let me tell you, investigations can go on for 15 to 20 years; it takes time, especially if you have a clever crook who will do everything to thwart whatever steps you are taking. You need to do serious work to get those people, but we will not be tired; we will go after them because we are not afraid of anybody because this country is worth dying for and if we don't stand up, the people will continue to be cheated.
He said the concerned leaders would be invited for interrogation immediately the preliminary investigations and evidence against them have been fine tuned.
He said such leaders who have short-changed the people for years have suddenly become democrats, or those who pretend to be doing the right thing. "Meanwhile, most of them are responsible for all the problems we are facing today. Even those in power now. You have governors who have taken public money and using it to campaign. We have people in office today converting the entire machinery of government for their own interest or to promote themselves."
Asked how to approach the case of the governors considering that they still enjoy some immunity and cannot be dragged to court, Ribadu said the EFCC will refer their cases to their state Assemblies for action.
"Let them be tried like what happened in Bayelsa. We have tried in Plateau State where everything was given to them but we don't know what they are waiting for. Meanwhile, we can go after the property of a governor and seize it, and we are going after the others as well. If the Plateau state Assembly will succeed in removing him, the next day, he would be in court and he would be in prison," he declared.
He said the probe has been put on hold because of the constitution review by the National Assembly. "But now that it is over, we are going to get back to work and now there is nothing any one can say.
He said the EFCC has not gone after lawmakers suspected to have taken bribe to approve third term because it lacked information and evidence from the public, and called on the public to avail the commission of such information to be able to probe the allegation.
He said however that the commission's investigators have checked government accounts in the Central Bank, Ministry of Finance, NNPC and the federation account, and cannot establish where monies were pulled out to fund the third term project.
