…Insists It’s a Scripted Steam of Mischievous Concoctions

…He Has a Case to Answer, Says EFCC

Popular socio critic, Senator Shehu Sani has slammed allegations of “extortion” against him by a Kaduna based businessman, Mr Sani Dauda, saying “It is baseless, factless, unfounded, hollow and unsubstantial.”

The former All Progressive Congress (APC) senator represented Kaduna central, who has emerged a stormy petrel to establishment forces both in his home state and Abuja, says, “It is a scripted stream of mischievous concoctions and utter fabrications using a puppet state agent; all aimed at splashing faeces and mud on me.”

Sani who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the eve of the new year, says, “The extortion allegation is nothing but a wholesale falsehood, packaged in a phantom anti-graft facade to taint, stain and mute me. That shall never happen if I am alive.”

“I have made my statement and provided all my facts against their package of lies and I demand the EFCC to make public all the sheets of our statements and supporting documents for the world to see,” says Sani, who had a running battle particularly with Governor Nasir El Rufai, contending that “My detention is unfair, unjust, prearranged and politically motivated.”

“Alhaji Sani Dauda and his hidden sponsors have not been able to provide any proof of their allegations. I’m unjustly incarcerated on the ground of an arranged two page petition backed with no evidential or documentary proof.

Expressing fears on the antics of what he perceived as incipient fascism in the country, Sani who’s a known critic of the administration of President Muhammdu Buhari, warns that “Fascism thrives in frame up of its critics.”

“They claim extortion and here they are closing my bank accounts, searching my houses and offices and demanding I declare my assets of which I have already done that at the CCB (Code of Conduct Bureau) last year when I left the Senate,” insisting that “Frame up cannot silence me!!!

“I have never ever met with the CJN (Chief Justice of Nigeria) or any judge or judges or ever called directly or indirectly to offer to give or to give directly or indirectly any form of gratification from Alhaji Sani Dauda

“I have never ever discussed with ASD on any form of bribe or gratification to be given to any judge or any EFCC official

“The bribe story is phantom, the bribe story is a fake, imaginative work of fiction, cruelly crafted to smear me, to frame me and to justify my persecution. The bribe story is a heap of blatant lies and outright falsehood concocted and fabricated, using a front and the EFCC to premiere a state drama

“ASD is a barely educated front for a state mission. Criminalizing me or “framing me” will not silence me, bend me or compromise me,” he says.

But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday clarified that the detained 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.

The EFCC in its clarifications claimed it decided to clear the air based on insinuations and phantom claims that the commission was “prosecuting” Sani because he is a known critic of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The EFCC accused Sani of collecting money from Dauda, promising to pass it on to Mr. Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the anti-graft agency, to influence an investigation. He was also alleged to have said he could assist Dauda in influencing a case at the Supreme Court by bribing Justice Muhammad Tanko, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and some other judges.

The CJN has however denied having anything to do with the former senator. On Wednesday, officials of the EFCC searched two houses belonging to the senator in Abuja. In a statement issued by the Acting Head, Media and Publicity, Tony Orilade, said: “The commission wishes to state that Sani is currently facing criminal investigation, and he is being detained by the EFCC in very conducive environment, based on a valid court order.

“Invariably, claims in some quarters of the breach of his fundamental human rights, is merely in the imagination of the purveyors of such claims.

“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.

“For certain people to brazenly come out to defend a suspect, who is being probed for a serious offence as the one committed by Sani shows that they are not really conversant with his offence.

“It is unfortunate that certain people are ready to do anything to support evil for pecuniary gains. This is quite unfortunate!.” the agency says.