A former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, is still in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, his counsel told PREMIUM TIMES Monday.
Shuaib Alaran, one Mr. Obanikoro’s legal representatives, said the former minister arrived EFCC office in Abuja hours ago and had not been released as at 5:46 p.m.
“I can confirm that he has been in their custody many hours now, we have little hope that he’ll be released today,” Mr. Alaran said in a telephone interview.
Mr. Obanikoro arrived the country in the early hours of Monday, saying he returned home to clear himself.
He has been having a running battle with the anti-graft agency for several months on charges bordering on financial crimes.
He left for the U.S. shortly after his party lost the 2015 elections and he ceased being a minister.
The EFCC accused him of using his sons, Gbolahan and Jide, to take out government contracts that were never executed.
Mr. Obanikoro, on a separate charge, was also implicated in the Ekiti elections scandal. It is not immediately clear if would answer questions about that, too.
He had initially vowed not to return to the country alleging persecution by the government as a means to discredit him.
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