There is a point at which an investigation, however legitimate its original purpose, begins to raise troubling questions about proportionality, institutional temperament and the possible personalisation of state power.
The continuing pursuit of businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) appears to have reached that uncomfortable point.
This is not an argument that the EFCC should abandon any credible investigation. Nor is it a suggestion that wealth, influence, social standing or private-sector success should confer immunity from scrutiny.
No citizen should be above the law, and every person whose financial activities raise legitimate questions must be prepared to provide lawful explanations. But the converse is equally important: no Nigerian should be placed beneath the law.
No individual should be subjected to a standard of treatment harsher than the law permits simply because a powerful public official has developed an unusual interest in her affairs. The coercive machinery of the state must never be converted into an instrument of intimidation, reputational destruction or personal conquest.
