Abubakar Usman, a pro-government blogger detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a story he posted on his website, on Wednesday slammed the Buhari administration for allegedly enabling acts that contradicted the spirit of his campaign.
Mr. Usman, an ardent supporter of the ruling All Progressives Congress, vowed to pursue causes that would help engender a Nigeria in which citizens were not punished for exercising their freedom of expression.
“This is a government that I fought for. But occurrences like these are not the experiences that myself and millions of Nigerians have fought for,” Mr. Usman said. “Moving forward, I will be pursuing all legal and constitutionally established avenues to ensure that this does not repeat itself.”
Mr. Usman’s remarks came hours after he was released from detention, where he spent nearly two days.
Mr. Usman was taken from his home by operatives of the EFCC on Monday morning and his arrest and confinement sparked widespread outrage, with people of divergent political affiliations rising in unison to condemn the development.
Sources within his family said he was arrested over a story he ran on his blog on August 2, which EFCC deemed critical of its chairman, Ibrahim Magu.
A statement later issued same day by the agency said Mr. Usman was wanted for cyberstalking, an offence that allegedly breached provisions of Cyber Crime Act.
Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, did not list the specific sections that were contravened. He, however, noted that Mr. Usman had been given administrative bail subject to fulfilment of its conditions.
On Tuesday afternoon, his attorney raised the alarm over the ‘draconian’ bail conditions set by the EFCC —two directors in the federal civil service with landed properties in Abuja— pleading with the agency to “soften” them.
The agency obliged the request and Mr. Usman was released shortly afterwards without presenting any bail bond, his lawyer told PREMIUM TIMES.
News of Mr. Usman’s release spread quickly, and he thanked all his followers and others who lent their voices to his ordeal in a statement he posted on his blog shortly before 5:00 a.m. Wednesday.
Mr. Usman urged Nigerians to see his unpleasant experience as a stepping stone “towards the attainment of a more sustainable democracy.”
The Cyber Crime Act was signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and many Nigerians had been accused of trespass under it. Two bloggers in Abeokuta and Lagos were arrested last year in separate cases.
Below is the story that led to the arrest of the pro-Buhari journalist
Regular members of staff at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC are complaining that they are being bullied by the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.
Magu, who returned a few seconded police men to their mother organisation has become panicky following series of revelations on his activities at the commission.
According to a source, Magu was “panicking because his confirmation had been deferred and is beginning to suspect any and every one in the commission for his problem.”
In June of this year, the DSS arrested one Air Commodore Umar Muhammed. Mr. Muhammed is still in detention with the state security service accused of carrying out a blackmailing cartel on behalf of senior staff at EFCC and Office of the National Security Adviser.
During a raid at the Maitama, Abuja home of the Air Chief Muhammed, DSS operatives discovered sensitive EFCC documents, plus other unauthorised documents from the office of the President and Arms Deal Committee.
A source close to the investigation believes Mr Muhammed who retired as an air commodore in the Nigerian Air Force in January 2014 has informed the duo of NSA Babagana Monguno and his Mr Magu whom he is alleged to be fronting for, that all was about to be revealed by the DSS Operatives working on his case.
Air Cdre, Mr Muhammed thinks it is the DSS attached to him that exposed all his dealings.
The source expressed that this important information from the air officer, Mr. Muhammed has prompted the acting chairman of the anti-corruption agency to embark on a personal vendetta against core staff of the commission attached to his office.
Another source with knowledge of the works of the anti-corruption commission agreed that Mr Magu was picking on regular staffs.
“Mr Magu thinks it is the regular staff that is hindering his confirmation whereas it his corrupt nature which has been exposed that is stopping any one from confirming him,” the source said.
“He feels they are a threat and may be working like DSS operatives, as some were being trained by the same Nigeria Secret Police.”
They also said that Mr Magu “has started replacing Protective Operatives attached to him with his police staff.
“Recently, Mr Magu started by victimising ‘Protective Core Operatives’ of the EFCC due to this revelation given to him by the arrested air chief who is a close ally of himself and his Godfather NSA Monguno.”
Meanwhile, in another development, document shows that a BACAB PLAZA, beside KASUPDA HOUSE, Kaduna Central Market, Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna State belonging to Air Commodore Salisu Yushau, who is also involved in the Arms Deal scandal were never declared to the Assets Forfeiture Unit.
Instead, according to a reliable whistle blower, the asset which was recovered by CSP Ishaku Sharu was returned to Borno born Mr Yushau who became a prosecution witness to the EFCC.
Sources said Chief Superintendent, Sharu is very corrupt. It is why former chairman Madam Farida Waziri returned him back to the mother organisation Nigeria Police, but the immediate past chairman of the commission, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde who is believed to have encouraged corrupt police officers, brought him back to EFCC in 2011.????
CSP Sharu is thought to have cut a deal with Mr Yushau not to reveal the Plaza.
There were been allegations that Mr Magu and Mr Monguno, both from Borno state, has been diverting government funds for personal use.
People close to Mr Magu are questioning why he has failed to allow an investigation into various allegation of corruption made against him.
One said “if Magu of EFCC is not corrupt like them, why is he keeping CSP Iliyasu Kwarbai, CSP Ishaku Sharu, and other police boys known with this illegalities.
“Mr Magu knows why he has not been confirmed. It is alarming the level of this allegation. Unfortunately, they would not go away unless they are investigated.”
Although a call was placed to him, he did not pick or return the call.
Abusidiqu.com
