It was not clear why Alhaji Babalele Abdullahi was arrested, but the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku believed it was politically motivated.
He vowed that under no circumstance would he mortgage “the mandate of Nigerians as freely expressed on the 23rd of February, 2019.”
Atiku’s media team said in a statement in Abuja that the EFCC operatives invaded Abdullahi’s residence at Maitama, Abuja to effect his arrest.
He doubles as finance director of Atiku’s group of companies.
The Atiku Media team said: “The EFCC agents numbering about two dozen came in two 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.
“It was gathered that the petition relied upon to invade the residence and office of Babalele was authored by a brother of the wife of President Buhari.
“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.”
