155
By Myke Agunwa
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has slammed The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for arresting Hon. Muhammad Kazaure, a former member of the House of Representatives and an unapologetic critic of the President Bola Tinubu-led government.
Kazaure, a member of the All Progressives Congress, has been vocal on various issues, including insecurity and corruption allegations against a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Recall that on 17 December 2022, the CBN denied allegations made by Kazaure, that N89.09 trillion in stamp duty collections had been diverted and that the then CBN Governor, Emefiele, kept $171 billion in the bank’s private investors’ account as proceeds of stamp duty.
It could be recalled that Kazaure once represented Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa and Yankwashi federal constituency in the House of Representatives between 2015 to 2023.
According to reports, Kazaure was invited to the EFCC office in Kano, where he presented himself, only to be arrested and subsequently flown to Abuja on Wednesday earlier in the week.
Atiku in series of tweets in his verified X handle, @atiku, on Saturday, lamented that with the arrest, EFCC once again has plunged headlong into its well-worn pattern of lawlessness, arresting and detaining citizens with brazen disregard for due process and without offering any justification for its actions.
The Wazirin Adamawa while condemning the modalities of the arrest, said that Nigerians are left with no choice but to conclude that “Kazaure’s ordeal is a direct consequence of his fearless and unrelenting criticism of this administration. This government’s hypocrisy is as staggering as it is shameless: while it strikes cosy deals with politically connected figures tainted by corruption, it unleashes the machinery of the state to harass and silence its critics”.
He recalled the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, (VDM) whose release was only secured after massive public outrage and pressure.
“Now, the EFCC has targeted Hon. Muhammad Kazaure, a former member of the House of Representatives and an unapologetic critic of the gross misgovernance and failings of the Tinubu administration. Abducted in Kano and whisked away to Abuja, Kazaure is presently being held incommunicado, with no formal charge or explanation offered to his family, legal team, or the Nigerian people.
“Let it be stated without equivocation: even if there were legitimate grounds for arresting any citizen, such action must adhere strictly to the rule of law. The EFCC is duty-bound to publicly disclose the reasons for any arrest and must not detain individuals indefinitely under the guise of investigation. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is unequivocal on this matter—every detainee must be promptly charged to court or released.
“By once again trampling on the fundamental rights of a Nigerian citizen, the EFCC is entrenching itself deeper into the mire of impunity and constitutional delinquency. Its deafening silence regarding the arrest of Hon. Kazaure, a man who represented the good people of Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi federal constituency, lays bare the agency’s contempt for transparency and justice” he said.