The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the arrest and continued detention of former House of Representatives member, Muhammad Kazaure, describing it as a “brazen disregard for due process.”
In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Atiku accused the anti-graft agency of operating outside the boundaries of the law, likening Kazaure’s arrest to what he described as a growing pattern of lawlessness and political intimidation.
“We witnessed this same abuse in the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, whose release was only secured after massive public outrage and pressure,” Atiku said.
He alleged that Kazaure’s ordeal stems from his vocal criticism of the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The former vice president claimed that Kazaure was “abducted in Kano and whisked away to Abuja,” where he is allegedly being held incommunicado without formal charges or notification to his family or legal representatives.
“Now, the EFCC has targeted Hon. Muhammad Kazaure… an unapologetic critic of the gross misgovernance and failings of the Tinubu administration,” Atiku wrote. “Even if there were legitimate grounds for arresting any citizen, such action must adhere strictly to the rule of law.”
He insisted that the EFCC is constitutionally obligated to disclose the grounds for any arrest and must not detain individuals indefinitely under the guise of investigation.
Atiku also criticized the commission’s silence on the matter, describing it as “deafening,” and concluded that Kazaure was being targeted for his unrelenting criticism of the federal government.
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