The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday night admitted the former governor of Kwara state, Alhaji Abdulfattah Ahmed, to an administrative bail.
The bail which the Peoples Democratic Party in the state described as stringent was granted the former governor with two sureties who should either be on the level of Directors in the Federal Civil Service or two currently Serving Senators in the National Assembly.
The sureties must also own landed property in Abuja, the Nation’s capital territory.
It was learned that efforts are being made to fulfill the bail conditions of former governor Ahmed as at Wednesday night so that he could be allowed to leave the antigraft agency office.
According to the Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr Olusegun Adewara, “The PDP is making frantic effort to ensure that HE, governor Abdulfattah Ahmed did not sleep in the EFCC office this night.
However, it was gathered that the condition of the bail could not be met as at 10.20pm on Wednesday as an important condition stipulated could not be fulfilled.
Ahmed had been under detention at the EFCC Ilorin Zonal office since 9am on Monday when he honoured the invitation of the agency.
Earlier on Wednesday, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had besieged the Ilorin zonal Command office of the EFCC to protest against the continued detention of the Ex-governor.
Members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) zonal office, Ilorin, the state capital, against continued detention of the former governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed by the antigraft agency.
The former governor who ruled the state between 2011 and 2019 is spending his third day in EFCC detention having been arrested on Monday and had being in the Custody of the antigraft agency over alleged mismanagement of N10 billion state funds.
The protesters, who carried placards with various messages to express frustration and anger over continued detention of Ahmed, said that he was being detained for more than 48 hours without being charged to court.
Led by the state publicity secretary of the PDP, Olusegun Adewara, the people also accused the antigraft agency of being used by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government to coerce the former governor join the ruling APC.
Some of the messages read: EFCC should stop being a tool in the hands of Abdulrazaq led APC, Governor Ahmed was very transparent, EFCC is not a department in APC, EFCC stop the harassment, The opposition cannot be silenced, Maigida will not join the APC no matter the persecution, EFCC don’t instigate political crisis in Kwara state, No to illegal detention. Respect the rule of law, among others.
The state publicity secretary said that the protest was staged to express their displeasure against perceived persecution, adding that the antigraft agency had been used against the opposition PDP for so long.
He said that the former governor was being denied food, medication and visitors to see him.
Addressing the protesters, the zonal commander of the EFCC, Michael Nzekwe, said that the former governor was yet to meet with the bail conditions, saying that, “we’re following rule of law in keeping him”.
The EFCC boss also said that the former governor would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded, adding that, “We’re wrapping up. Once we wrap up, the law would take its course. The antigraft agency, being a creation of law, would not go contrary to law.
“Everything we’ve done is within the ambit of the law. Former governor is cooperating with us and we’re making good progress following rules of law. As I speak, he’s with his lawyer SAN, he attends to everyone who comes to see him, he has a doctor who has attended to him. He eats what he wants to eat. I urge us to allow law take its course. We’re not partisan nor prompted by anybody. This body is solely sponsored by the federal government”, Nzekwe said.
The EFCC official added that nobody has been stopped from seeing Ahmed, including his lawyer and personal doctor, asserting that the Commission will not go contrary to the law.
He told the protesters that the former governor had been given bail conditions, which he is yet to meet.
