A former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, who is facing trial over alleged bribery, has described the Nigerian security operatives as worse than kidnappers.
Sani, who met his bail conditions and left the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, said this in interview with the BBC Hausa Service.
He was arraigned before Justice I. E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, January 27, 2020, for alleged name-dropping and obtaining $25,000 by trick from Alhaji Sani Dauda (owner of ASD Motors) to help him stave off a criminal investigation of him by the EFCC.
“Honestly speaking, the way security operatives are detaining people in Nigeria is not different from what kidnappers are doing.
“In fact, if kidnappers abduct you, once you pay the ransom you will be free. But Nigerian security agents can detain you and even your family will not know where you are; even if they do they can’t get you released,” Sani said.
Narrating how he was detained, the former senator said “towards the end of last year, I learnt from my security guards that EFCC agents came to my house looking for me when I was not around.
“So I called them to say I will visit them when I am back. On the 31st of December I came back, and on that same day I went to their headquarters in Abuja,” he said.
On the condition of the place where he was detained, Sani said “Sometimes you find 40 people, or even 80. We were staying, sleeping and eating there. The Muslims there made me their Imam leading them in prayers.”
