Governor tells EFCC to either take Shema to court or leave him alone

Fayose said further that the EFCC has no respect for the fundamental rights provided for in the 1999 constitution.

The governor made the comments in a statement released by his media aide, Lere Olayinka.

The statement reads:

“EFCC should release him immediately or charge him to court if there is any evidence of corruption against him rather than acting as if it is law unto itself. It is on record that former governor Ibrahim Shema reported at the EFCC office in Abuja by himself on September 16 and 12 days after, he is still being detained by the EFCC and one cannot but ask where EFCC derived its powers to first arrest Nigerians, detain them and be searching for evidences to prosecute them later.”

“In saner climes, anti-corruption agencies will only arrest suspects after prima facie case had been established against them and they are charged to court almost immediately, unlike the Nigeria’s EFCC that will arrest suspects and detain them indefinitely while looking for evidences to prosecute them.

“Funny enough, the EFCC will even expect the suspects to supply evidences with which they will be prosecuted. Hope former governor Shema’s incarceration is not because of his perceived presidential ambition?

“It is unfortunate that a man like Shema, who did exceedingly well as Katsina State governor and even left over N3 billion in the state’s treasury is now being humiliated ostensibly for political reasons.

“By declaring former governor Shema wanted, it presupposes that EFCC already had water-tight evidences against him and one wonders why he is still being kept in detention 12 days after he made himself available to the commission.

“In the interest of democracy, rule of law and well-being of Nigerians, this continuous use of EFCC to humiliate and oppress those perceived as threat to the All Progressives Congress (APC) hold on power beyond 2019 must stop and arresting, incarceration and humiliation of notable opposition figures by the EFCC will not translate to success of the APC government and those who want President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed should let him know this.

“The EFCC must change this brutish strategy and style and put the rights of Nigerians first.”

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The EFCC had earlier declared Shema wanted in connection with an alleged N76 billion fraud.