The immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation,
Mohammed Adoke (SAN), says operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, raided the home of his younger brother, Bashir, in Kogi State
in the early hours of Sunday.
He also raised alarm that his life was in danger.
The raid may not be unconnected to investigations into the
$1.3bn oil deal involving Malabu Oil and Gas Limited and oil giant, Shell,
brokered by Adoke in 2011 when he was the AGF.
Adoke in a statement by his spokesman, Victor Akhidenor,
stated that nothing was found during the raid which he described as illegal.
The senior advocate said the operatives of the anti-graft
agency assaulted some occupants of the house when they did not find any dollars
in the building.
The statement read in part, “The men who arrived Mr. Bello’s
house at about 12 midnight in a Hilux van were dressed in black uniform.
“They did not present any search warrant and when the
security man sought to know their mission, they stated that they were in search
of money particularly dollars that have been hidden by Mohammed Bello Adoke.
“When the security insisted that the house was not occupied
and that no such monies were kept there; they not only brutalized him, but
proceeded to hack down the door, tore the place apart and searched virtually
every nook and cranny of the house, destroying the furniture, the ceiling,
wardrobes, water tank, etc.
“At the end, they left the premises infuriated that they did
not find the dollars they were informed was hidden in the house.
“This will be the second time that security personnel would
be invading Mr. Adoke’s home. Last month, officials of the EFCC invaded Mr.
Adoke’s family home in Kano in search of documents ostensibly to use to
prosecute him.
“There appears to be no end to the level harassment,
intimidation, and persecution that Adoke and his family will face at the hands
of law enforcement personnel determined to unearth incriminating evidence
against him.
“Adoke is apprehensive about his personal safety as well as
that of his immediate family and calls on law enforcement personnel to
guarantee the safety of his family especially now that he has become a target
and subject of harassment, intimidation, and persecution from powerful families
and aggrieved individual bent on settling scores with him on account of his
refusal to allow his office as a minister in the government of the federation
to be used to serve their personal interests.”
By Wale Odunsi
