The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was still holding on to a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Anyim Pius Anyim and compelling him, under duress and undue influence, to sign all manner of self-incriminating documents, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has said.
Ozekhome, who is Anyim’s lawyer was reacting to claims that that the former SGF has been released in some media reports. Anyim was arrested by the EFCC last weekend.
While faulting the claim, Ozekhome said: “We are solicitors to Senator Pius Anyim, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation who was detained by the EFCC and has since been kept in its gulag for about nine days.
“Our attention has been drawn to the carefully planted false and misleading report published in various online and print media to the effect that Anyim has since Wednesday 22nd November, 2017, been released by the EFCC on administrative bail.
“This is a lie from the pit of hell. These false reports which credit ‘unnamed sources within the EFCC’ have continued to circulate throughout Thursday and Friday, with the intent to deceive the world and divert its attention from the gross abuse of fundamental rights of Anyim who has been kept under inhuman and degrading condition for this unconstitutionally lengthy period.
“The truth is that Anyim is still held in EFCC custody till this minute, in spite of fulfilling all administrative bail conditions laid out for him, including deposit of his international passport and being compelled, under duress and undue influence, to sign all manner of self-incriminating and property-stripping documents against his will.
“In spite of this and the clear provisions of sections 35 and 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act(ACJA), the EFCC has bluntly refused to release Anyim to go and attend to his very poor health over which he was receiving treatment before he was forcibly taken away from his home.
“This is calling upon the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to prevail on the EFCC (and all law-enforcement agencies) to respect the rule of law and the constitution they have sworn to protect and defend by promptly ordering Anyim’s release forthwith, since no charges have been preferred against him and since he has fulfilled all administrative bail conditions.”
But EFCC insisted the ex SGF has not been released because he was yet to meet his bail condition.
The Nation reports that Anyim has been interrogated by EFCC over alleged laundering of N13 billion out of N58, 146,983,677.85 in the Ecological Fund account and alleged collection of N520million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) just before the 2015 general elections.
The newspaper added that the anti graft agency has also opened another flank of investigations over alleged contracts involving some companies linked to Anyim in the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and this may be another reason for the continued detention of the former SGF.