The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied it interrogated the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senatorial Candidate for Kwara Central in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Saliu Mustapha.
The EFCC’s rebuttal is coming in the wake of a report that the commission reportedly quizzed Mustapha for corruption.
According to the report, published in a Kwara-based blog, Mustapha was on the anti-graft agency’s watchlist.
However, the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwajuren, denied knowledge of the viral report or its content, saying “I don’t have any such info. Thanks.”
Meanwhile, in his reaction, a media aide to Mustapha, Gidado Shuaib, said his principal has never been linked to any fraudulent dealing, which could have given credence to such reports.
“The information about EFCC grilling Mallam is false in its entirety. Nothing like that happened. EFCC didn’t invite him, just as he is not on the Commission’s trail,” he said.
Shuaib, while describing the media report as the handiwork of Mustapha’s political opponents who are afraid of his rising profile, cautioned ‘politicians’ against dragging EFCC into their ‘political game’.
“We have reliable information that some opposition parties in Kwara State feel that the only way to decimate the APC structure in the state is to first attack Mr Mustapha through any means possible, including blackmail and campaign of calumny. They have recruited a Lagos-based propaganda group to do this dirty job.
“These are deliberate attempts by mischief-makers to distract the good works of Mr Mustapha, who through his campaigns, years of philanthropic efforts and empowerment programmes has been winning the hearts of Kwarans as no true son or daughter of the emirate will engage in blackmailing and spoiling the reputation of others without any justifiable reason,” he said.
“It is unfortunate that some politicians, even in this era, still play dirty politics. There is no basis to drag the EFCC into their game. The Commission is not and has never had the cause to investigate Mallam Saliu Mustapha for any kind of wrongdoing.
“Saliu Mustapha has been in business for nearly 3 decades. He has plied his trade with high integrity and has never had any reason to answer questions on his several lines of businesses,” Shuaib added.
