Human rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) has disclosed how an ex-governor attempted to bribe him with N405 million to help steal funds abroad.
Although he did not name the ex-governor, Falana’s s statement at an anti-corruption workshop in Abuja was made available in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) monthly magazine, ALERT, obtained by journalists on Friday, July 29.
“The governor asked me to assist him in transferring money abroad, and that I should claim it to be proceeds from sale of his property in Nigeria.
“And the price was extremely attractive. He was going to pay me a million pounds then, when money was money.
“The governor said he had chosen me for the shady deal, because ‘nobody will suspect you.’ “I told him, ‘Your Excellency, so it is my reputation that you want to buy with your one million pounds?’
“Some of my colleagues thought I was stupid, but those who accepted the offer later found themselves in trouble, as they were arrested and humiliated. They were only lucky not to have been charged to court,” Falana said.
While advising his colleagues against being used by lawyers, Falana noted that, “Lawyers have a paramount role to play in the fight against economic and financial crimes, as they are the ones usually employed by well-heeled members of the society to help perfect documents for illicit transactions, and to cover up their tracks.”