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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest at the zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ilorin, the state capital, against the continued detention of immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, by the antigraft agency.
The former governor, who governed the state between 2011 and 2019, has spent three days in EFCC custody, after he was arrested on Monday over alleged mismanagement of N10 billion belonging to the state.
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions such as, “EFCC should stop being a tool in the hands of Abdulrazaq led-APC”, “Governor Ahmed was very transparent”, “EFCC is not a department in APC, EFCC stop the harassment”, “The opposition cannot be silenced”, “Maigida will not join the APC no matter the persecution”, “EFCC don’t instigate political crisis in Kwara State”, “No to illegal detention. Respect the rule of law”, among others, expressed frustration and anger over the continued detention of Ahmed.
Led by the state publicity secretary of the PDP, Olusegun Adewara, the protesters also accused the antigraft agency of being used by the All Progressives Congress-led government to coerce the former governor to join the ruling party.
Adewara said that the protest was staged to express their displeasure against perceived persecution, adding that the antigraft agency had been used against the opposition PDP for so long.
He said that the former governor was being denied access to food, medication and visitors.
Addressing the protesters, EFCC Zonal Commander, Michael Nzekwe, said that the former governor was yet to meet his bail conditions, adding that “we’re following the rule of law in keeping him.”
Nzekwe added that Ahmed would be charged to court as soon as ongoing investigation was concluded, stressing that “we’re wrapping up. Once we wrap up, the law would take its course. The antigraft agency, being a creation of law, would not go contrary to law.”
“Everything we’ve done is within the ambit of the law. The former governor is cooperating with us and we’re making good progress following rule of law.
“As I speak, he’s with his lawyer, a SAN. He attends to everyone who comes to see him, he has a doctor who has attended to him.
“He eats what he wants to eat. I urge us to allow law take its course. We’re not partisan nor prompted by anybody. This body is solely sponsored by the federal government,” the EFCC commander said.