EFCC must stop acting irresponsibly — Fayose

Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has frowned on the persistent harassment of Nigerians by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He described the continued detention without trial of Mr Warimopei Dudafa, a former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and the invasion of the Abuja residence of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, as irresponsible, barbaric and undemocratic.

Governor Fayose said it was the height of executive rascality for the EFCC to have held occupants of Fani-Kayode's residence hostage for eight hours, despite the fact that he was only invited to come to the EFCC office on Monday and there was no evidence that Fani-Kayode refused to honour the EFCC invitation.

According to the governor's Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, 'EFCC under President Muhammadu Buhari is acting as if it is above the law and Nigerians and the international community must remind the commission that we are in a democracy where rule of law is sacrosanct.'

The governor said the actions of the EFCC had shown clearly that it was an instrument of victimisation against opposition in the country, adding that the anti-graft agency should study how other anti-corruption agencies in other countries behave.

He said: 'the EFCC must be reminded of the judgement delivered in March this year by Justice Yusuf Haliru of the Federal High Court in Nicholas Arinse Vs EFCC & Nigerian Army where the judge held that the EFCC did not behave as if we were in a civilised society and that the anti-graft commission was behaving as if we were in a military dictatorship, where they arrest and release persons at will.

'It is a demonstration of barbarism for the same EFCC that invited Fani-Kayode to its office on Monday to have invaded his house on Friday, holding the occupants hostage for eight hours when there is no evidence that Fani-Kayode refused to honour EFCC invitation. Why the show of barbarism by the EFCC as if Nigeria is now back to 1984 when Buhari was a military dictator?' Fayose queried.

While calling on the international community to pay attention to the abuse of the rights of Nigerians and threat to democracy under President Buhari, Fayose said 'It is obvious that democracy in Nigeria is becoming unsafe in the hands of Buhari's government.'