The National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) has denied media reports that he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for giving Justice Terseer Agbadu-Fishim of the National Industrial Court a N500, 000 bribe.
Banire, in a press statement he issued in Lagos on Sunday, said as a strong advocate of anti-corruption campaign and will never descend into the insanity of offering bribe to pervert the course of justice.
He also maintained, “It must, therefore, be understood that I was never arrested or invited by the EFCC but having read the allegation on the social media, I wrote a letter dated 29 October, 2016 to the EFCC notifying that I would be visiting the Commission on Tuesday 1st November, 2016 to assist in its investigation of the matter.
“Thus, I voluntarily visited the EFCC on the said date and have clarified to the said Commission as follows: I did not give any bribe of the sum of N500,000.00 or any other amount to any Judge at any time whatsoever.
“The person to whom I gave a gift of N500,000.00 in 2013 was a former colleague in the academia, a fellow lawyer whom I now understand to be a judge with whom I had lost Physical contact for more than seventeen years until probably three years ago when he solicited for my financial assistance toward his mother’s burial.
“I have not physically seen the said judge in the past seventeen years or more until Thursday, the 3rd of November,2016 at the Efcc premises.
“I have never appeared before the said judge either as a lawyer or as a litigant;
I have never taken any benefit from the said recipient of my generousity and have never expected any in return.
“The occasion of the gift was purely customary for the purpose of assisting in the burial of his deceased mother.
“I must say this kind of assistance is not peculiar to this old colleague but that which is the nature of my usual disposition to all, colleagues, Associations, students, clubs, religious bodies and humanity in general.
“I am a strong advocate of anti-corruption campaign and will never descend into the insanity of offering bribe to pervert the course of justice. It is my strong conviction that the just shall live by faith and this passing phase shall soon give way to the triumph of the uncompromising truth. I must say that it strengthens my r resolve to continue to uphold my ideals and principles,” Banire stated.
