Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has announced the suspension of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Mr. Fidelis Mnyim, due to his involvement in a lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The suspension was revealed by Governor Alia during a press briefing following the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on Wednesday in Makurdi.
According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), 16 federation states filed suit CTN23102024 in the Supreme Court, seeking to proscribe the EFCC and challenging the establishment of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Governor Alia expressed his discontent, stating that Mr. Mnyim joined the lawsuit without consulting him or aligning it with the administration’s agenda. He questioned the rationale behind Benue joining the other states in challenging the status of the EFCC and ICPC, especially since these agencies are instrumental in aiding his administration’s efforts to recover funds allegedly misappropriated by previous governments.
Alia emphasized that the Attorney General had acted independently, which he found unacceptable. He confirmed that Mnyim would remain suspended until he could provide satisfactory explanations regarding his actions.
“I feel quite disturbed and uncomfortable with the position of my attorney general, who mentioned taking the EFCC to court, alongside other states, through their attorneys general,” Alia stated. “Benue has been deprived of its financial resources by past governments, and we are only trying to recover what we can to develop the state.”