Former Governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema has responded after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared him wanted for alleged “diversion of funds, and embezzlement running into billions of naira.”

While speaking through his spokesperson, Oluwabusola Olawale, Shema told Premium Times that he was innocent of the allegations leveled against him.

Shema also said he was away when the EFCC initially wrote him but acknowledged subsequent correspondences.

He also said he requested for an appointment with the anti-graft agency through his lawyer but didn’t get a reply.

“The EFCC sent another invitation and Mr. Shema agreed to honour the invitation with his lawyer, Wole Olanipekun,”

“But the meeting with the EFCC could not hold because the officials were engaged elsewhere,” Olawale said.

“Subsequently, Mr. Olanipekun wrote EFCC in July this year requesting for a date to be given and up till date, no date has been fixed by EFCC for the meeting.”

Shema also claimed that his predecessor, Bello Masari was trying to victimize him.

“From all indications, it appears like the same issue which Governor Bello Masari had petitioned EFCC about.

“He has equally set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate which is underway in Katsina and there’s also a pending court case on the matter.

“The allegations made by Mr. Masari are false, malicious and targeted to tarnish the image of Mr. Shema who served creditably well under the platform of PDP,” he said.

Azeez