Legal counsel to former governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, Chief Mike Abu Ozekhome (SAN) has described the news report purportedly from an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) source as a ‘cock and bull’ story.
Ozekhome lashed out at the EFCC over its claim that Audu fled his Abuja home to evade arrest, saying he was not in Nigeria yesterday in the first instance and that the story being circulated by the commission about him was unfortunate.
Audu, he explained was in the United Kingdom receiving treatment over an injury he sustained in an accident. Ozekhome lampooned the EFCC for claiming that Audu was wanted for a fresh arraignment in view of the recent ruling of the Supreme Court which cleared the coast for his trial.
He said EFCC must not talk about Audu’s arrest because the matter the commission claimed he was needed for was a subject of litigation before a competent law court in Lokoja and the Abuja Court of Appeal.
He added that any attempt by the anti-graft agency to take any step against him would amount to subjudice.
“If they wanted Prince Audu, EFCC does not need to stress itself. Only a phone call to him will do the magic. He is presently in London. He had an accident. EFCC is just a busy-body pretending to work in order to earn the unmerited accolades of Nigerians when, in fact, its men are not doing anything,” Ozekhome said.
But the EFCC claimed that it was not aware of any pending case in the alleged N4 billion fraud against Audu and that he must be arrested anytime, anywhere, he was seen to bring him to justice.
The commission said in a statement that “following the escape from arrest of the former Kogi State governor, Abubakar Audu, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on December 11, 2012, the commission has concluded plans to declare him wanted.
