We Arrested Obanikoro, Fani-Kayode To Make Nigeria Better—EFCC

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, has explained that those in the custody of the agency are not product of witch-hunted by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government as being speculated in some quarters.

Mr Magu, speaking yesterday at the Commission’s office in Abuja, played down on the rumour that the likes of Mr Musiliu Obanikoro, Mr Reuben Abati and Mr Femi Fani-Kayode were arrested because they oppose the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

But according to the EFCC boss, the trio are in detention in order to cleanse and make Nigeria a better place for all.

He made this known when a popular Catholic priest, Rev Fr Mathew Kukah, visited the Abuja office of the agency on Monday.

Mr Magu, speaking after the visit of the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, assured the inmates that their incarceration was not personal.

“It is not personal. This is all about Nigeria and making it better. And I think there is a consensus around this,” he said.

During yesterday’s visit, Mr Kukah met with the inmates, including Mr Obanikoro, Mr Fani-Kayode and Mr Abati, where he prayed for them.

He also urged them not to be downcast, but to see their temporary imprisonment as divine.

“I discussed with some detained suspects like Femi Fani-Kayode, Musiliu Obanikoro and Reuben Abati; and I am quite pleased they are looking cheerful.

“I was also happy with the humility of the acting Chairman who took me round and the way he interacted with the detainees. This is what is important for our country so that nobody takes these kinds of things personal. I am happy I came.

“We are all staff of EFCC to the extent that we want a better country and we are doing what needs to be done. We’ll continue praying that God guides you, keeps you safe and ensure that we build a country that we all will be proud of.

“This country has suffered so much, but we hope and pray that we can bring the suffering and trauma to an end as we collectively fight corruption,” Mr Kukah said at the visit.

The trio of Mr Fani-Kayode, Mr Obanikoro and Mr Abati are presently being held over allegations bordering on fraud.