The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, for alleged extortion and name-dropping.
It was gathered that the vocal ex-lawmaker was arrested in Abuja on Tuesday for allegedly using the name of the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, to extort sums of money from some members of the public
Among other cases, Sani was said to have demanded $20,000 from a car dealer, Alhaji Sani Dauda, the owner of ASD Motors, who gave him $10,000 and later complained to the EFCC.
A source said, “The ASD Motors boss, Alhaji Sani Dauda, complained that Sani collected $10,000 from him on the grounds that he is very close to the EFCC boss.
“He was subsequently arrested and granted an administrative bail while the said $10,000 was recovered from him. He was asked to report but he made himself incommunicado.
“Sani claimed that he was close to Magu and could help them to escape the agency’s scrutiny and punishments for economic and financial infractions.”
Dauda was said to have informed the EFCC that Sani allegedly demanded $20,000 to pass to Magu in order to resolve the issue.
“But the complainant stated that he could only provide $10,000 to settle the matter with the EFCC.
“He will likely spend the New Year day in EFCC’s custody as the complainant is expected to take up issues with him on Thursday, January 2, 2020,” a source stated.
A senior EFCC official also confirmed the arrest of the former lawmaker to our correspondent.
It was gathered that the anti-graft agency was forced to move against him because Sani failed to honour various invitations extended to him.
This, it was learnt, made the commission’s operatives to storm his residence and took him into custody where he may spend the New Year day.
But Ahmed Suleiman, an aide to Sani, condemned the arrest of the former lawmaker.
Suleiman said, “Senator Shehu Sani visited ASD to sympathise with him over his case with the EFCC and thereafter the ASD motors owner saw his Peugeot car and suggested to him to change it to a higher one but the Senator told him there was no money to do so.
“ASD now suggested to the Senator that he could pay instalmentally and the Senator agreed. So, when he got some money he went and gave ASD some money about $12,000 and ASD gave him an invoice and thereafter wrote his account details on an envelope with the Senators name so that he could pay in the balance subsequently.
“I want to believe that ASD is being mischievous and possibly allowing himself to be used by politicians. In any case, now that the case is in public domain, it will end up in court and the truth will become very obvious.
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