ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials have arrested and questioned the governing All Progressives Congress's (APC) national legal adviser Muiz Banire in what represents the commission's first quizzing of a ruling party operative.
Since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed power last year, the EFCC has stepped up its arrest and prosecution of former government officials. It has however, been accused of political bias in its fight against corruption, with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that the agency is only going after its members.
To debunk this criticism, the EFCC invited Mr Banire to it Lagos zonal office to answer questions over the alleged payment of N500,000 into the account of a judge. According to the EFCC, the unnamed judge presides over the National Industrial Court in Lagos, although it did not reveal the date and time of the alleged payment by Mr Banire.
Mr Banire, a lawyer, was summoned to the Lagos office of the EFCC on Thursday and was said to have obliged by turning up for questioning after which he asked to return yesterday. Apparently, the commission is contemplating keeping him beyond yesterday as he was still being interrogated.
Whether his arrest would put to rest, allegations of selective investigation against the federal government is largely in doubt given increasing calls for the probing of APC members, who served in the PDP government. Meanwhile, former minister of state for defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro was released on bail yesterday after refunding the sum of N100m out of the N4.7bn he was alleged to have embezzled.
Comments
Post a Comment