–Demands immediate release of detained former Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed
–He’s being held under the law -EFCC
ILORIN: A group of PDP protesters today staged a peaceful protest at the Ilorin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), during which the command was accused of breaching the rights of detained former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, having allegedly kept him beyond 48 hours without charging him to a law court as prescribed by the law.
The crowd of protesters marched peacefully to the EFCC Ilorin office, singing solidarity songs and carrying placards with various inscriptions.
Men of the EFCC command were sighted, positioned strategically brandishing their rifles as the protesters approached the perimeter fencing.
Speaking during the protest, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Kwara State, Mr Olusola Adewara Shollyments laid several allegations at the door steps of the anti graft agency and the Kwara State government.
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Shollymen accused the EFCC of keeping the former governor unjustly, alleging a collusion between the Kwara State government and the EFCC in a plot to keep the former governor in detention until his spirit is broken and subdued into defecting to the ruling APC.
According to Mr Shollymen, the protesters were there to demand the immediate release of the former governor Ahmed.
“This detention is illegal. Release him or charge him to a court of competent jurisdiction. You can’t fight corruption by corrupting the law, “he said.
In his response, the EFCC zonal head, Mr Michael Nzekwe, explained that the EFCC is a creation of the law and as such, everything and step that has been taken in this matter was in accordance to the stipulations of the law.
He stated that the dictates of the required investigations were what the command was following in keeping the former governor.
“The EFCC is a creation of the law, and at no time will it ever happen that we will go contrary to the law. Every single thing we have done is within the ambit of the law. There were serious and strong petitions, and don’t forget investigations have been on for a long time”, Mr Michael said.
On the state of the detained former governor, the zonal head stated that: ” he is hale and hearty. He has his lawyer with him.
” He is cooperating with us in terms of investigations, and we are making good progress.”
He also described as laughable, a comment he heard from the Crowd that the EFCC was compelling the former governor to defect to APC.
“Since when did we become APC? We are not partisan at all for any reason, and we are not being prompted by any body”, he affirmed.
” So, please be patient. Let the EFCC finish its work, and thereafter let the law take its course.” he concluded.
