EFCC may quiz Ekweremadu’s wife

Detectives are likely to interrogate Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu’s wife, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sources said yesterday. The anti-graft commission is probing Ekweremadu’s wife over one of the companies under its searchlight. The EFCC is said to have hinted Ekweremadu of the likely invitation of his wife. Besides, the EFCC yesterday confirmed the Deputy Senate President’s discharge from hospital on Saturday and its readiness to resume his interrogation. But former Senate Leader Ali Ndume yesterday faulted the EFCC for allegedly treating Ekweremadu with kid gloves. A source, who pleaded not to be named because he is not permitted to speak on the matter, said: “Our detectives need to interrogate Ekweremadu’s wife in relation to the activities of a suspected slush company. We may quiz her any moment from now. And we told the Deputy President of the Senate why we require the attention of his wife too. “We have linked another property to Ekweremadu, bringing the assets to 62. We are digging more and contrary to what his media aide is saying, the Deputy President of the Senate is well informed of issues isolated for him to clear. “We do not want to join issues on the pages of newspapers but if the media aide prefers propaganda, we will release the fact-sheet on Ekweremadu for Nigerians to appreciate the extent of our investigation on him.” The source added: “A hospital has confirmed the discharge of Ekweremadu on Saturday. We are resuming his interrogation immediately because he is now fit.” Ndume told reporters: “Well, interrogation by EFCC for suspected crime or anything is nothing new but what I find very strange and not happy with truly is the way EFCC is handling the investigation of the Deputy Senate President, particularly and, by extension, even the way the Inspector General of Police is handling the case of Saraki. “Everybody is equal before the law and that is what it should be. EFCC invited him, he was known to be sick and he went to a hospital not under the custody of EFCC. “Ekweremadu should have gone to EFCC hospital because they will even give him better treatment than whichever hospital he has gone to. Now people like me are beginning to suspect that the EFCC is giving him soft landing. “EFCC is treating some people preferentially and that is wrong. I don’t think the EFCC chairman, Ibrshim Magu, is doing the right thing by doing that. They should be treated equally, not even Ekweremadu, Ali Ndume or even Buhari. “Once anybody has issues with the law, they should be treated like every other person. “Several ministers that are related with anything to do with money laundering or any financial crime, like the former Governor of Plateau, were invited, arrested and detained by EFCC. “Senator Peter Nwaoboshi was arrested by EFCC; he is also a senator, detained and released later. He had issues that are medical. “ So I begin to wonder whether Magu is trying to compromise or change his style and I want to say that if he is doing his job, he should do it regardless of whoever is involved as long as there is an established case against an individual, he should be treated as any other person. “I am not saying that he should not be allowed to go to the hospital but he should go to the hospital under the care of EFCC.” Ndume listed those who had encounters with the EFCC and got not preferential treatment. He said: “I, as a senator was accused one time and I was detained for 30 days and when I sought for medical attention, I got it from the DSS. Judges houses have been raided and they were taken to custody and they were released on bail. David Mark was invited by EFCC and his passport was seized by EFCC. Stella Oduah was invited by EFCC and her passport was seized and she was allowed out on bail based on self recognisance. “They invited Ekweremadu and as they were interrogating him, he said he was not feeling well and they said he should go to hospital and come back. “That I find very strange. I am not saying he should not be accorded the respect of getting medical attention but if I go into EFCC, I can as well say I am sick and go. Tomorrow when I come, I can say my blood pressure has gone up again, another day I can say I have headache or fever. “If that is the way they will handle their investigation, then I begin to get worried.”]]>