The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Babalele Abdullahi, son in-law and Finance Director of group of companies owned by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Paul Ibe, Media aide to Atiku Abubakar, confirmed this in a statement on Saturday.
According to him, the arrest was part of the plot to make Atiku concede the result of the just concluded election.
He, however, stated that Atiku has vowed not be cowed by any attempt to blackmail him into mortgaging his mandate.
The statement reads in part, “In a desperate move to have Atiku Abubakar concede and congratulate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at about 8.30am today (Saturday) invaded the Maitama residence of Babalele. They were however not given access into the house until his lawyers arrived.
“The EFCC agents numbering about two dozen came in 2 regular vehicles, an 18-seater Toyota bus (registration Abuja CS 522 RSH) and a hilux van. They came with a search warrant to search the house and office of Babalele and found nothing incriminating.
“They then proceeded to his office at Oakland Centre in Maitama and found nothing incriminating there. However, they took away some documents of landed property.
“Not done, the EFCC officials stormed his Wuse residence where they again found nothing incriminating after the search.
“Afterwards, Babalele was taken away to the EFCC office in Wuse to make a statement alongside Mr. Lawan Ayuba.”
“As a law abiding citizen, Atiku Abubakar recognizes the constitutional role of the EFCC and indeed any other agency of the government to carry out investigations, but will not be cowed by any attempt to blackmail him into mortgaging his mandate,” he said.
