The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has ordered the withdrawal of the charge instituted against a final-year student of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Maryam Shehu, a day after she was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly peddling malicious information against the commission on social media.
Mr Olukoyede also ordered the withdrawal of a separate but similar charge against Abubakar Abdulhamid.
The prosecution has drawn criticism from lawyers and many Nigerians alleging legal breaches in EFCC’s handling of the cases.
A statement from the EFCC said Mr Olukoyede’s decision followed appeals for leniency from Nigerians and apology from Ms Shehu’s father Nigerians.
“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 statement signed by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said.
