A former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim has noted that he was never invited nor detained by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over corruption charges as speculated recently.
Anyim disclosed this in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki by his media adviser, Sam Nwaobasi, on Wednesday.
According to Nwaobasi, Anyim willingly went to EFCC immediately after he got information that some persons being investigated by the anti-graft agency over fraud mentioned his name.
He, however, expressed dismay over his eventual detention.
Recall that Anyim was in EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Sunday afternoon and was there till Tuesday evening after meeting all demands from the commission over a petition on financial fraud in which his name was mentioned in the said petition.
The statement reads: “We have been inundated with inquiries from friends, associates, PDP faithfuls and the general public with regard to media reports since Sunday, the 24th of October 2021 on Senator Anyim’s detention by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), which according to the reports was ‘part of an investigation in a case of alleged corruption and diversion of public funds.’ It has therefore become necessary to put the record straight on what went on between Sunday the 24th to Tuesday the 26th of October as follows:
“Senator Anyim got information that some persons invited by the EFCC in connection with some matter it was investigating mentioned his name in the statement made to the EFCC.
“Determined as always to ensure that the truth prevails, Senator Anyim reached out to the officer handling the matter and offered, on his own volition, to come over to the EFCC to clarify any issues around which his name was mentioned. The officer was delighted and they agreed to meet in his office at the EFCC by 3pm on Sunday, the 24th of October, 2021.
“At the agreed time Senator Anyim arrived at the EFCC office. He was never invited by the EFCC.
“After his engagement during which Senator Anyim was as candid as could be, to his utter surprise he was told he would not be going home that day.
“By the next day, the EFCC gave the conditions for his release which were met promptly. It took up to Tuesday the 26th for EFCC to complete their processes after which he was allowed to go home. Senator Anyim, as a law-abiding citizen, will always submit himself to any process required by any agency of the government in the discharge of its duties. Senator Anyim, though not disturbed or worried by his encounter with the EFCC, after all, he went to their office by himself, has however noted some reports in some social media platforms that deliberately distorted the facts just to call his integrity to question.
“Senator Anyim remains steadfast in his commitment to join hands with men and women of goodwill to unite, heal and advance the cause of our dear country Nigeria and will continue to offer himself and services to the pursuit of same, notwithstanding the blackmail, falsehood, misinformation and misrepresentation that some opportunists will seek to make out of such episodes like his recent encounter with the EFCC.
“Senator Anyim is very humbled and touched by the spontaneous responses and concern shown by his numerous friends, associates, supporters, especially PDP faithful and the general public. He believes that together we shall all build a better Nigeria.”
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