Shehu Sani, a former senator from Kaduna state, has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to court over his continued detention.
YaahooJournalist reports that the suit was filed by Shehu Sani’s counsel, Abdul Ibrahim (SAN), before Justice A. B. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Gudu, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Senator Sani is suing the EFCC and the owner of ASD Motors, Alhaji Sani Dauda for the sum N100 million as damages for his illegal detention. The suit indicates that the hearing would commence on Monday 20th January 2020.
His lawyer filed the “motion under Enforcement of Fundamental Human Rights Procedure in the case between Sen. Shehu Sani vs EFCC and ASD Motors.”
The application was also filed for Senator Sani’s release, which was also due for hearing on Monday.
The EFCC had arrested Senator for allegedly demanding money from Sani Dauda, owner of ASD Motors, to bribe Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the anti-graft agency, so as to influence an investigation.
Although Senator denied the allegation, the anti-graft agency insisted he had questions to answer on the matter. In the statement, Sani’s aide accused the EFCC of bias in his principal’s case, and he listed 11 questions for the agency to answer.
Responding, Tony Orilade, the EFCC acting spokesman, insisted that the Sani has a case to answer.
His words: “Let it be stated clearly, that Senator Shehu Sani has questions to answer as regards the 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.”
In a new twist, an aide to the former lawmaker, Suleiman Ahmed, revealed that Senator Sani was “forced to declare his assets”.
Ahmed wondered why the EFCC has not detained Sani’s accuser “who admitted to giving bribe” and why it has not invited “Alhaji Samaila Isa Funtua who was mentioned in the frame up against Shehu Sani?”
“Mr. Orilade, what is the connection between allegations of extortion of $25,000 and then searching his residence, blocking his accounts and forcing him to declare his assets?” he questioned the EFCC.