Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what he described as its
“brazen disregard for due process” following the arrest and continued detention
of Hon. Muhammad Kazaure, a former House of Representatives member and known
critic of the Tinubu administration.
In a strongly worded statement posted on his official
Facebook page, Atiku accused the EFCC of abusing its powers and operating
outside the bounds of the Nigerian Constitution, likening Kazaure’s arrest to a
pattern of lawlessness and political repression.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has
once again plunged headlong into its well-worn pattern of lawlessness,
arresting and detaining citizens with brazen disregard for due process and
without offering any justification for its actions,” he wrote.
Atiku drew parallels between Kazaure’s arrest and the
earlier case of social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as
VeryDarkMan, who was recently detained and released only after public backlash.
“We witnessed this same abuse in the unlawful arrest and
detention of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, whose
release was only secured after massive public outrage and pressure.”
According to Atiku, Hon. Kazaure was “abducted in Kano and
whisked away to Abuja” and is currently being held incommunicado, with no
access to his family or legal representatives. The lack of formal charges,
Atiku argues, is not only unconstitutional but a deliberate attempt to punish
dissent.
“Let it be stated without equivocation: even if there were
legitimate grounds for arresting any citizen, such action must adhere strictly
to the rule of law. The EFCC is duty-bound to publicly disclose the reasons for
any arrest and must not detain individuals indefinitely under the guise of
investigation.”
Describing the EFCC’s silence as “deafening,” Atiku noted
that Kazaure—who represented the Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi federal
constituency—was being targeted for his outspoken criticism of the Tinubu
government.
“We are left with no choice but to conclude that Kazaure’s
ordeal is a direct consequence of his fearless and unrelenting criticism of
this administration.”
The 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP accused the
Tinubu administration of double standards, suggesting that while the government
shields politically connected allies implicated in corruption, it uses state
institutions to intimidate and silence its critics.
“This government’s hypocrisy is as staggering as it is
shameless: while it strikes cosy deals with politically connected figures
tainted by corruption, it unleashes the machinery of the state to harass and
silence its critics.”
Atiku ended his statement with a warning to those in power,
insisting that Nigerians are watching and that history will remember these
abuses.
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