Wanted ex-Gov Shema shames EFCC for sending IV to wrong address

The former governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema who was recently declared wanted by the EFCC has said he is not on the run.

The former governor stated that the anti-graft body rushed to declare him wanted after it sent a letter of invitation meant for him to a wrong address, and even cancelled the proposed meeting.

He said in a letter to the EFCC that he cancelled his trip to Saudi Arabia to honour the commission’s trip fixed for June 28, only for them to cancel it.

The commission in a statement on Wednesday, signed by its head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwajuren, had declared the former governor wanted “in connection with a case of criminal conspiracy, inflation of contracts, abuse of office, diversion of funds and embezzlement, running into billions of naira”.

Read also: EFCC declares ex-Gov Shema wanted

But Shema said that the commission jumped to declare him wanted without any formal letter of invitation to him, after it failed to honour the first meeting.

“Without any formal invitation to me, the EFCC purported, by a letter dated June 17, 2016, sent to a wrong address of Wole Olanipekun & Co. asking the law firm to make Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema available for an interview with the undersigned on Tuesday, June 28, 2016.The letter was signed by Hyecinth A. Edozie.

“Despite the incongruity in the way and manner the invitation was extended to me through a counsel – and also through a wrong address of the same counsel, and notwithstanding the fact that I was already billed to travel to Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj (Umrah) on the appointment day, I cancelled all the engagements to honour the invitation with my counsel on the said June 28, 2016, only to be informed, around 10am on that day that the interview would no longer hold, as Mr. Hyecinth A. Edozie was out of Abuja, and that a new date, after Sallah, would be communicated”, he said.

He noted that the EFCC has failed to respond to a letter from his lawyer asking for a new date, and lamented that “The EFCC deliberately embarked on false propaganda against me and my person by positing that I have ignored several invitations which it extended to me.”

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now