“Ignore The Banal Statement”: I Didn’t Call For Yari, Matawalle’s Arrest — Ozekhome

*Calls Alleged Statement “Odious Inanity” And “Lie From The Pit Of Hell”

In a strongly worded response, renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof Mike Ozekhome, has vehemently denied authoring a statement that criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for failing to arrest former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.

The alleged statement, which was published on the website Arewa Agenda, suggested that the EFCC was applying the law selectively and engaging in media trials.

Ozekhome, who has been a friend and lawyer to the current Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, for many years, described the statement as “odious inanity” and a “lie from the pit of hell.” He emphasized that he would never contemplate making such a “banal statement devoid of common sense and reasoning.”

The Senior Advocate, known for his advocacy of human rights, due process, democracy, and good governance for over four decades, questioned how he could be linked to a statement that suggests meddling in a matter that is subjudice or engaging in media trials and convictions before a proper trial.

Ozekhome called on members of the public to ignore the statement and its banner headline, labeling them as “utterly false, baseless, unfounded, and simply idiotic.” He referred to the authors of such statements as “faceless idle internet crawlers” and “millipedes of the internet,” borrowing a term coined by Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka.

The Senior Advocate further pointed out the absurdity of the alleged statement, noting that it quoted an earlier statement purportedly made by him about defeating the EFCC 11 times in court. He argued that he could not have been authoring a statement while simultaneously quoting himself.

Ozekhome urged the public to disregard the statement and consign it to the “trashcan of history where it rightly belongs.”