The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has dismissed allegations made by Abdullahi Bashir Haske, a businessman and son-in-law to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who claimed his fundamental rights were violated while in the agency’s custody.
Haske had alleged in a report published by The Africa Report that he fell ill and collapsed during an interrogation session, an incident that led to his hospitalisation. Following these events, he initiated legal proceedings against the commission.
In a response on Tuesday, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, stated that the agency had not yet been formally served with any court documents related to the suit. โThe EFCC has not been served the court proceedings. There is nothing to react on,โ Oyewale said.
Oyewale categorically refuted the accusations, describing them as entirely baseless. He defended the conditions of the commission’s detention facilities, stating, โOur facility is one of the best in the world. That is why some even ask the court to remand them in our custody rather than in prisons. His allegations are untenable. EFCC custody is not a death centre.โ
The anti-graft agency is pursuing Haske, the founder of AA & R Investment Group, for alleged involvement in criminal conspiracy and money laundering. The commission had previously declared him wanted after he allegedly breached the terms of his administrative bail and failed to honour subsequent invitations for questioning.
In a public notice signed by Oyewale, the EFCC had urged anyone with information on Haskeโs whereabouts to report to the nearest police station or EFCC office. The notice also listed his last known addresses in the Ikoyi and Victoria Island areas of Lagos.
Haskeโs company, which holds interests in energy, agribusiness, logistics, and information technology, has previously been named in investigations concerning alleged multimillion-dollar fund transfers from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
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