•As Ndume, Senators visit ex-ministers, Abati
Former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode’s media aide, Jude Ndukwe said yesterday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lied about Bishop Matthew Kukah’s visit to his boss, Dr. Reuben Abati, ex-presidential media aide and former minister of state for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.
In a statement, yesterday,
Ndukwe said though Kukah visited the trio of Fani-Kayode, Abati and Obanikoro, he did not speak about their cheerfulness and accused Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the anti-graft agency, of trying to make a “caricature of the seriousness of the condition of the detainees”.
Uwujaren had quoted the cleric as saying the suspects were in high spirits.
However, Ndukwe disagreed and insisted that Kukah made no comment on cheerfulness, but only spoke “encouraging words” to them. On his arrival there, he met them at the clinic and afterwards had some private moments with them away from the prying eyes of journalists.
“Even if we decide to agree that Kukah said the clinic and detention area of the commission was ‘clean and orderly’, we reject the notion that Kukah said the trio was ‘cheerful’.
This was obviously added to make a caricature of the seriousness of the condition of the detainees.
“Bishop Kukah spoke inspirational words of encouragement to the trio wherein he encouraged them to be strong and see this as a trying period for them.
“Even if EFCC converts a five-star hotel to its facility, it can never be good enough to illegally keep citizens on account of their political leanings,” Ndukwe said in a statement, yesterday.
Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode, Abati, ex-FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and Obanikoro, yesterday, received solidarity visits from Senate leader, Senator Ali Aduma, Senator Philip Aduda, Senator Ali Wakili, Senator Isa Hamma and and former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin.
It was gathered that the visitors expressed support and solidarity for the detainees.