The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has levied serious accusations against the Ilorin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The party alleges that the EFCC’s actions are tantamount to blackmail and sensationalism in its prosecution of ex-governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and the former Commissioner for Finance, Hon Demola Banu.
According to a statement released in Ilorin on Wednesday and signed by the Party’s State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, Kwara PDP asserted that the EFCC deliberately misled the court in the case involving Hon. Demola Banu.
The EFCC claimed that Banu had jumped administrative bail, leading to a bench warrant being issued against him. However, the PDP insists that Banu never refused to honour any invitation from the EFCC and was never formally invited by the agency.
The statement highlights a previous case in 2019 when Hon. Ademola Banu was taken to court by the EFCC, only for the agency to discontinue the case voluntarily in November 2020, recognizing its error.
Since then, according to the PDP, Banu has not received any invitation from the EFCC. The PDP argues that the recent allegations of jumping bail are baseless and merely a promotion of falsehood.
The PDP further questions the rationale behind such allegations, emphasizing that Hon Banu had been previously detained and taken to court by the EFCC four years ago, which makes it unlikely that he would jump bail now.
Moreover, the PDP contends that the charges filed against former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and Hon Ademola Banu are essentially the same as those previously declared baseless by the EFCC in 2020, leading to Banu’s discharge.
The party finds it laughable to allege that the two individuals diverted Kwara State resources while merely performing their constitutional duties.
The party asserts that Banu, as the former Commissioner for Finance, operated within the bounds of the law and in line with approved budgets and financial guidelines.
The EFCC, according to the PDP, has failed to provide any concrete evidence against Banu, which led to the withdrawal of charges in 2020, and is now troublingly refiling these charges.
The PDP vows not to stand idly by while its members are unjustly harassed and victimized, stating that legal actions will be pursued against individuals and EFCC operatives involved in such actions.
In conclusion, the Kwara State PDP calls on the President of Nigeria and the leadership of the National Assembly to intervene and stop what it perceives as the EFCC’s collusion with the state government to intimidate opposition members.
Join our twitter community :