The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained former Governor of Katsina State for alleged fraud and diversion of public funds valued at N76bn.
Shema had turned himself in on Friday morning after he was declared wanted on Wednesday night for alleged “diversion of funds, and embezzlement running into billions of naira.”
The former governor had arrived the anti-graft agency’s office at about 9:30 am on Friday but was still in custody at 7:30 pm, after being grilled for over 8 hours.
Shema through his spokesperson, Oluwabusola Olawale had said he was not running from the EFCC, insisting that he had honoured their invitation.
The statement read in part, “As further proof to the fact that the former Governor Shema is not in hiding as claimed by the EFCC, he voluntarily walked into the EFCC headquarters around 9.30 am on Friday, September 16, 2016.
“We have reiterated it on different occasions that former Governor Shema has nothing with fear and he is ever ready to defend himself but he should not be subjected to political and media trial.
“All he wants is fairness, justice and equity in accordance with the rule of law. Former Governor Shema left Katsina State as a debt-free state despite the massive infrastructural development during his eight-year tenure.
“The whole agenda is a campaign of calumny by Governor Aminu Bello Masari of the APC to pull Shema down because he feels too small to occupy the big shoes and meet the giant strides of Shema as his predecessor in office.”
He claimed he wrote the EFCC to schedule an appointment after he missed the first invitation but got no response.
He also accused his successor, Bello Masari of sending the anti-graft agency after him.
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