…It’s untrue says Spokesman
Uche Usim, Abuja
A businessman with interest in real estate, Machine fabrication, education and other areas, Alhaji Abdulhamid Mahmud Zari, has alleged that some bad eggs within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are now using the agency to intimidate many private sector enterprises through continued extortion and harassment.
But the EFCC through its Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, denied the allegations as baseless and a failed attempt to malign officers of the anti-graft agency. Zaria had at a recent press conference in Abuja, alleged that an aide of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr Ibrahim Magu, was notorious for such extortion.
Conducting journalists round his business premises in Keffi, Nassarawa State on Wednesday, Zaria said he has lost billions of naira for allegedly refusing to “cooperate” with the said officer, whom he said sealed up his businesses with trumped up charges and in process, scared away all business partners associated with him.
He noted that though the EFCC had done well in the fight against corruption in the public service by recovering billions of naira in cash and properties, its anti-corruption approach in the private sector remains crude and was therefore killing many business ventures.
Zaria said that he had written 21 petitions to the EFCC without any response whatsoever from the Commission.
He is now calling on all relevant government officials and political office holders in the country to call Madaki to order before he rubbishes the achievements of the EFCC under the leadership of Magu.
He noted that his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, had petitioned the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on how Madaki and some EFCC staff have crippled his businesses and also intimidated his business partners.
A copy of the petition made available to Daily Sun, dated June 1, 2018, titled: “Re:Complaint against Abubakar Aliyu Madaki for illegal extortion of money, use of office as Personal Assistant to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC and the Head of Economic Governance Section of the EFCC to perverse and truncate the course of justice ; the need for urgent intervention.”
The businessman alleged that the extortion and harassment by the said Madaki and some of his colleagues at the anti-graft agency had chased away his business partners from Turkey and consequently crippled of his businesses including an auto assembly plant worth over N2 billion.