The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered the withdrawal of charges preferred against Maryam Isah Shehu and Abubakar Shuraim Abdulhamad.

Both were arraigned on Thursday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court, Abuja, on allegations bordering on cybercrime and peddling malicious information against the commission.

However, barely 21 hours after their arraignment, the anti-graft agency boss ordered the withdrawal of the charges against them on compassionate grounds, a statement from the spokesperson of the commission, Dele Oyewale, disclosed yesterday.

He stated that while the commission considered the arraignment of the two defendants for cyber stalking to be contrary to Section 24(2) (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended) 2024 and punishable under Section 24 (2) (c) (ii) of the same Act, the Executive Chairman, nonetheless, considered the passionate pleas and apologies of Shehu’s father and appeals of well-meaning Nigerians for leniency.

“To this end, he has directed that charges filed against the two young Nigerians be dropped and warned that the EFCC would no longer tolerate any wilful attack on its image in any form, medium or platform.

“The EFCC’s boss assured Nigerians that the Commission would continue to function in line with its assigned mandate and in the best interests of the nation,” the statement read in part.

this (This Day)