The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday raised the alarm that no fewer than 24 operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arrested his son-in-law, Alhaji Babalele Abdullahi.
He added that Abdullahi, who is also the finance director of Atiku’s group of companies, was arrested after the EFCC officials in two regular vehicles, an 18-seater Toyota bus with registration Abuja CS 522 RSH and a Hilux had invaded the Maitama residence of Abdullahi about 8.30am on Saturday.
According to a statement by Atiku’s media adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, the EFCC officials were, however, not given access into the house until Abdullahi’s lawyers arrived.
He said, “In a desperate move to have Atiku Abubakar concede and congratulate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, officials of EFCC at about 8.30am today (Saturday) invaded the Maitama residence of Babalele. They were, however, not given access into the house until his lawyers arrived.
“The EFCC agents numbering about two dozens came in two regular vehicles, an 18-seater Toyota bus (registration Abuja CS 522 RSH) and a Hilux van.
They came with a search warrant to search the house and office of Babalele and found nothing incriminating.
“They then proceeded to his office at Oakland Centre in Maitama and found nothing incriminating there. However, they took away some documents of landed property.
Not done, the EFCC officials stormed his Wuse residence where they again found nothing incriminating after the search.
“Afterwards, Babalele was taken away to the EFCC office in Wuse to make a statement alongside Mr. Lawan Ayuba. It was gathered that the petition relied upon to invade the residence and office of Babalele was authored by a brother of the wife of President Buhari.
Ibe stated that as a law-abiding citizen, Atiku recognised the constitutional role of the EFCC and indeed any other agency of the government to carry out investigations, but will not be cowed by any attempt to blackmail him into mortgaging his mandate.
According to the statement, Atiku assured Nigerians that under no circumstance will he mortgage what he called the mandate of Nigerians which was freely expressed on February 23, according to him.
