Anyim Pius Anyim still in EFCC custody, faces fresh hurdles

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was still holding on to a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Anyim Pius Anyim , as at press time yesterday.



Ayim, who was yet to meet the bail conditions as at yesterday, is facing fresh hurdles in connection with the ongoing probe of some huge contracts in the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

His lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome(SAN) , yesterday faulted the position of the EFCC and insisted that the ex-SGF had met all the conditions for his freedom.

He said Anyim was being compelled, under duress and undue influence, to sign all manner of “self-incriminating documents.”

“As a matter of fact, the EFCC has granted bail to Anyim, but he is yet to meet the conditions for his freedom. We will not release him until the terms are fulfilled.

“The noise by the counsel was unnecessary because the court order, which we obtained to detain him, is still subsisting.

“The fact is that Anyim’s case has many dimensions. He still has issues to clear in connection with some huge contracts in the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFUND). Anyim is expected to make a few clarifications on his implication on these contracts, “ a highly placed source in the commission said.

In a statement yesterday , Ozekhome faulted the EFCC and insisted that his client was yet to be released.

The statement said: “We are solicitors to Senator Pius Anyim, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation who was detained by the EFCC and has since been kept in its gulag for about nine days.

“Our attention has been drawn to the carefully planted false and misleading report published in various online and print media to the effect that Anyim has since Wednesday 22nd November, 2017, been released by the EFCC on administrative bail.

“This is a lie from the pit of hell. These false reports which credit ‘unnamed sources within the EFCC’ have continued to circulate throughout Thursday and Friday, with the intent to deceive the world and divert its attention from the gross abuse of fundamental rights of Anyim who has been kept under inhuman and degrading condition for this unconstitutionally lengthy period.

“The truth is that Anyim is still held in EFCC custody till this minute, in spite of fulfilling all administrative bail conditions laid out for him, including deposit of his international passport and being compelled, under duress and undue influence, to sign all manner of self-incriminating and property-stripping documents against his will.

“In spite of this and the clear provisions of sections 35 and 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act(ACJA), the EFCC has bluntly refused to release Anyim to go and attend to his very poor health over which he was receiving treatment before he was forcibly taken away from his home.

“This is calling upon the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to prevail on the EFCC (and all law-enforcement agencies) to respect the rule of law and the constitution they have sworn to protect and defend by promptly ordering Anyim’s release forthwith, since no charges have been preferred against him and since he has fulfilled all administrative bail conditions.”

Besides the UBEC and TETFUND cases, Anyim has been interrogated on how he allegedly laundered over N13billion out of N58, 146,983,677.85 in the Ecological Fund account.

He was also asked to explain how the ecological cash ended up in the accounts of about 15 companies linked with him.

A third peg of the interrogation bordered on why Anyim collected N520million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on the eve of the 2015 general elections.