The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said the embattled former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has a case to answer for the alleged involvement in extortion and name-dropping.
The commission stated that Sani was being detained for allegedly obtaining $25,000 from an auto dealer, Alhaji Sani Dauda, in order to shield him from criminal investigations by the anti-graft agency.
Acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, explained in a statement in Abuja on Friday, that Sani is currently facing a criminal investigation, and is being detained “in a very conducive environment based on a valid court order.”
The commission dismissed insinuations that Sani was held for being a critic of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), stressing that those defending the ex-lawmaker were not conversant with his alleged crime.
It stated, “Invariably, claims in some quarters of the breach of his fundamental human rights are merely in the imagination of the purveyors of such claims.
“Let it be stated clearly that Senator Shehu Sani has questions to answer as regards his alleged involvement in name-dropping, and particularly that he obtained $25,000 from Alhaji Sani Dauda, the ASD Motors boss, in order to help shield him from investigations being carried out by the EFCC.”
The anti-graft agency took a swipe at those defending Sani, saying it was unfortunate that they were supporting evil for pecuniary gains.
It said, “For certain people to brazenly come out to defend a suspect who is being probed for a serious offence as the one committed by Sani shows that they are not really conversant with his offence.
“It is unfortunate that certain people are ready to do anything to support evil for pecuniary gains.”