Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Former senator Shehu Sani has described his experience in recent detention by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) as hell, saying that his detention was unfair, unjust and a breach of his fundamental human rights.
A federal high court in Abuja had penultimate Monday granted the former lawmaker a N10 million bail.
Sani was arraigned on a 2-count charge of bribery brought against him by the EFCC.
Sani, according to the EFCC, was arrested for allegedly extorting $10,000 from a businessman, Sani Dauda, owner of ASD Motors who has a case pending with the anti-graft agency.
However, in a press statement signed by Sani and made available to reporters, his 30 days of incarceration in the hands of the EFCC was characterised as an ugly situation, which included traumatising interrogations.
He said houses and offices were searched and that he was compelled to declare his assets.
Sani’s statement reads:
“My incarceration for 30 days in the jail of EFCC was unfair, unjust and a clear breach of my fundamental rights and hence stands condemned.
“During my unjust stay in the EFCC cell, I was subjected to traumatising interrogations. My Houses and offices where searched, they compel me to declare my assets, they tried to subject me to polygraph lie detector tests, my accounts were blocked, my phone was seized all in the name of fictional “24” or “25” thousand dollars extortion.
“Any Information planted in the media by the EFCC spokesperson while I was in their custody about me is outrightly false and nothing but a bacterial and fungal infested concoctions, typical of their style.
“Our country will continue to be at the bottom strata of the transparency International index as long as our anti-graft agencies only use their might and arsenal to crush ants while lacking the courage, the heart and the liver to confront the snakes, the vultures and the hyenas of the ruling establishment.
“They can frame me, detain me but can’t silence me. I shall abide by all the conditions of my bail and appreciate the courage, compassion and wisdom of the court in granting me the bail.
“In an ideal democratic state, all agencies of the Government are obliged to operate within the dictates and the ambit of the rule of law or the nation leaps into tyranny.
“The rule book of Stalin, the manual of Hitler or road map of Mussolini should not be the guidance and the compass of the nation’s security and anti-corruption agencies in their quest to sanitize our country.
“I wish to thank all individuals and groups that have shown concern, support, solidarity and prayers during my 30 days of incarceration in the underground cell of the EFCC on the orders of its chairman.
“With gratitude to Almighty Allah and My Special appreciation to Amnesty International, SERAP, HURIWA and numerous to mention.”