Senator Bukola Saraki’s arrests by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been denied by his media aide, saying that the former Senator President only visited the office of the anti-graft commission on his own volition.
Yusuph Olaniyonu who is the media aide to the immediate past Senate President, while speaking on Bukola Saraki’s arrests by the EFCC, stated in a statement on Saturday that 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 he is at home right now,” the statement said.
The statement continued:
“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.
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,” the statement added.
According to reports, Bukola Saraki’s arrests was confirmed by the head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, on Saturday.
Wilson Uwujaren, who confirmed the development to journalists, said the ex-Kwara State governor was invited for questioning over alleged corruption and money laundering.
He added that Saraki was currently in the commission’s custody for the continuation of interrogation.
Sources in the EFCC had earlier revealed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain was arrested over alleged theft and laundering of public funds using a network of cronies and proxy companies.
Saraki, who was the Senate President from 2015 to 2019, had faced several corruption allegations in the last few years.
However, he was acquitted on charges of false assets declaration by the Supreme Court in June 2018.
According to Sahara reporters, in his new case with the EFCC, Saraki is to answer questions over alleged theft and laundering of public funds using a network of cronies and proxy companies.
The suspected proxies, who executed purported contracts for Kwara State under Saraki, allegedly made returns, for many years, to the former governor, forming an organised network of dirty money flow.
The funds involved were huge, running into hundreds of millions in naira and hundreds of thousands in foreign currencies at various times, sources said.
Anti-graft investigators have obtained a list of the proxy companies involved and analysed a pattern of suspicious transactions between them and Saraki.
One of them has been reportedly responsible for funding Saraki’s lifestyle, including paying over N100million to settle the bills for rent and renovation of Saraki’s Maitama residence.