By Favour Goodness
The Economic and Funancial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the arrest and detention of the former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.
Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesperson of the commission, said that Saraki was invited for questioning over allegations of corruption and money laundering.
He said the former senate president was currently in the custody of the commission for continuation of interrogation.
According to sources, Saraki is alleged to have hired suspected proxies, who executed contracts for Kwara State under his administration and allegedly made returns to him for many years.
The funds involved are said to run into hundreds of millions in naira and hundreds of thousands in foreign currencies.
Saraki, 58, was Senate President between 2015 and 2019.
He also sat for two terms as Governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011.
As Senate President, Saraki spent a considerable time facing charges of corruption and false declaration of assets, although he was eventually acquitted by the Supreme Court in June 2018.
The invitation and detention of Saraki for interrogation is happening days after a former Nasarawa State Gov. Tanko Al-Makura and his wife, Mairo, were invited and interrogated.
The commission had invited Al-Makura and the wife over alleged breach of public trust and misappropriation of billions of naira by his administration.
Meanwhile, the former Nigeria Senate President, Bukola Saraki has dismissed reports of his arrest by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He said he visited the EFCC on his own volition. He made this known in a statement shared by his media office on his Facebook page
“PRESS STATEMENT
The Media Office of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki would like to confirm that this afternoon, of his own volition, Dr. Saraki visited the office of the EFCC to clarify any issue that the commission may have wanted to raise with him. He was never arrested and is at home right now.
It will be recalled that following the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on the Fundamental Human Rights case filed by Dr. Saraki during the period of the former Chairman of the EFCC which precluded the commission from investigating him until the matter is dispensed with, the commission at the last hearing on July 14, 2021, pleaded with the judge that the order was preventing them from doing their job.
Following this complaint, Dr. Saraki, as a responsible citizen, on his own volition approached the commission that at the earliest convenient date, he was willing to visit the commission’s office and clarify all issues they might want to raise with him.
He, therefore, visited the commission’s office this afternoon and answered some questions. He is back home. He was not arrested. Dr. Saraki also assured the commission that he has nothing to hide and will always make himself available to clear all issues that may require his attention.
