Former Katsina Governor Shema Faults EFCC for Declaring Him Wanted

Former Katsina Governor Shema Faults EFCC for Declaring Him Wanted

Former Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema on Thursday faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC)for declaring him wanted.

The former governor in a letter to the EFCC stated that he was not on the run from the anti-graft agency as reported.

The EFCC had on Wednesday declared Shema wanted for refusing to honour its invitation over an alleged N74.6billion fraud.

The Nation reports that the ex-governor stated that he was rather prepared to honour the invitation of the EFCC on June 28 but the anti-graft agency cancelled the interview at the last minute.

He added that he had been waiting for another invitation from the EFCC since June and was surprised by the EFCC’s declaration that he was a wanted man. He said such declaration was “malicious and misleading.”

Shema’s letter stated in part:

“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.”

Shema said his lawyer wrote a letter to the EFCC on June 28, 2016 addressed to Edozie for a new date for interrogation.

He said further:

“As a senior citizen of this country, a legal practitioner of 32 years post-call experience, and a two-time governor of Katsina State, I not only feel seriously embarrassed, disturbed, surprised and confounded by the report sponsored by EFCC, but also feel sorry for our dear country.

“I feel sorry for the pitiable situation we have found ourselves as Nigerians where and when a sacred institution like the EFCC is pressurized and used to sponsor fake, false, malicious, misleading and unfounded allegations against someone like me, who the EFCC has not at any time accused of fraud, embezzlement, inflation of contract, or any misdemeanour at all.“