The immediate past governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 pleaded with the State High Court sitting in Gezawa to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from arresting him.
A petition signed by A. B. Bulama, was filed by Bashir Nasir & Co to the EFCC on behalf of pensioners claiming that Kwankwaso, who is now a senator representing Kano central, deposited N2billion in the state branch of defunct Euro Bank Plc after which the bank went into liquidation.
The petitioners further alleged that Kwankwaso failed to reclaim the purported deposit from the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, which is an outright breach of the state Pension and Gratuity Law.
Kwankwaso’s lawyer, Barrister Okechukwu Eze, had disclosed that the incessant threat of arrest by the anti graft commission following the petition has restrained his client to his Abuja home.
Addressing the court on the experte motion filed to restrain the anti-corruption agency from arresting his client, Eze explained that the move by the EFCC, if executed, would deny the former governor his fundamental rights, Daily Post reports.
Eze said, “My client has been in his house over the threat of arrest by the EFCC and have been denied the liberty to perform his legislative duties as mandated by voters of Kano central District”, adding that the action of the EFCC was predicated on a petition by an ‘unregistered association that has no written address.
“We have expressive fear that Kwankwaso’s right to liberty, freedom of movement as guaranteed under the constitution is likely to be violated by EFCC”, Barrister Eze stressed.
While acknowledging the fact that the “EFCC has the power to investigate financial crimes”, Eze however insisted that “it should be based and founded on reasonable suspicion”.
Eze further maintained that his client should be hailed for bringing surpluses to the pension fund rather than being threatened by the EFCC over an alleged violation of the pension laws.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Yahaya, in his ruling on Thursday, July 2, 2015 urged the two parties of EFCC and the troubled Kwankwaso, to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit.
