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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what he described as its “brazen disregard for due process” following the arrest and continued detention of Hon. Muhammad Kazaure, a former House of Representatives member and known critic of the Tinubu administration.
In a strongly worded statement posted on his official Facebook page, Atiku accused the EFCC of abusing its powers and operating outside the bounds of the Nigerian Constitution, likening Kazaure’s arrest to a pattern of lawlessness and political repression.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has once again plunged headlong into its well-worn pattern of lawlessness, arresting and detaining citizens with brazen disregard for due process and without offering any justification for its actions,” he wrote.
Atiku drew parallels between Kazaure’s arrest and the earlier case of social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, who was recently detained and released only after public backlash.
“We witnessed this same abuse in the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, whose release was only secured after massive public outrage and pressure.”
According to Atiku, Hon. Kazaure was “abducted in Kano and whisked away to Abuja” and is currently being held incommunicado, with no access to his family or legal representatives. The lack of formal charges, Atiku argues, is not only unconstitutional but a deliberate attempt to punish dissent.
“Let it be stated without equivocation: even if there were legitimate grounds for arresting any citizen, such action must adhere strictly to the rule of law. The EFCC is duty-bound to publicly disclose the reasons for any arrest and must not detain individuals indefinitely under the guise of investigation.”
Describing the EFCC’s silence as “deafening,” Atiku noted that Kazaure—who represented the Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi federal constituency—was being targeted for his outspoken criticism of the Tinubu government.
“We are left with no choice but to conclude that Kazaure’s ordeal is a direct consequence of his fearless and unrelenting criticism of this administration.”
The 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP accused the Tinubu administration of double standards, suggesting that while the government shields politically connected allies implicated in corruption, it uses state institutions to intimidate and silence its critics.
“This government’s hypocrisy is as staggering as it is shameless: while it strikes cosy deals with politically connected figures tainted by corruption, it unleashes the machinery of the state to harass and silence its critics.”
Atiku ended his statement with a warning to those in power, insisting that Nigerians are watching and that history will remember these abuses.
“The Nigerian people are watching. And
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