The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has expressed his dissatisfaction with the continuous harassment of citizens embarked upon t=by anti-graft agency, EFCC.
The State Governor in a statement released by his media aide Lere Olayinka, described the detention without trial of a former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Warimopei Dudafa, and invasion of the Abuja residence of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode as irresponsible, barbaric and undemocratic.
The statement reads in parts: “EFCC under President Mohammadu Buhari is acting as if it is above the law and Nigerians and the international community must remind the commission that we are in a democracy where rule of law is sacrosanct.”
He further pointed that the EFCC had derailed from its original function as it is now nothing but an instrument of victimisation against oppositions in the country. He noted that the anti-graft agency needs to take a step back and study how corruption fight is being tacked in other countries.
“The EFCC must be reminded of the judgement delivered in March, this year by Justice Yusuf Haliru of the Federal High Court in Nicholas Arinse Vs EFCC & Nigerian Army where the judge held that the EFCC did not behave as if we were in a civilised society and that the anti-graft commission was behaving as if we were in a military dictatorship, where they arrest and release person at will. In the case of the former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Jonathan, no one is saying those suspected of corrupt practices should not be investigated and tried, but it is wrong for Warimopei Dudafa to have been kept in EFCC custody for over two weeks without trial.
“Also, it is a demonstration of barbarism for the same EFCC that invited Fani-Kayode to its office on Monday to have invaded his house yesterday, holding the occupants hostage for eight hours when there is no evidence that Fani-Kayode refused to honour EFCC invitation. Why the show of barbarism by the EFCC as if Nigeria is now back to 1984 when Buhari was a military dictator?”
He added that: “It is obvious that democracy in Nigeria is becoming unsafe in the hands of Buhari’s government.”
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