EFCC arrests Shehu Sani over alleged extortion of $20,000

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested and interrogated Senator Shehu Sani for allegedly extorting $20,000 from the owner of ASD Motors, Alhaji Sani Dauda.

Senator Shehu Sani represented the Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th Assembly but was defeated in the last election by Uba Sani.

Sources said Sani was asked to explain why he collected various sums of money from different individuals promising to assist them to avoid EFCC investigations.

One of the sources said: “He (Sani) was said to have collected the $20,000 from the owner of ASD Motors on the grounds that he is very close to the EFCC boss.

“He was subsequently arrested and granted administrative bail while he refunded the money to the victim. “He was asked to report but made himself incommunicado. He must have been scamming a lot of people, dropping the name of the EFCC boss.”

The spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached on his mobile telephone lines as of the time of filing this report. An aide to Sani, Suleiman  Ahmed, confirmed to Daily Trust that after receiving the invitation, Sani reported at the EFCC Office in Abuja and was being questioned by operatives.

He said: “We are here with the Senator because he was invited by the EFCC which was why he came to listen to the complaint against him and which is normal.

“All we know is that there was a business transaction that transpired between Senator and him ASD. The senator wanted to buy a Peugeot 508 Executive and was making part payment.

“An invoice was given to him as well as an account number by ASD to make deposit. So we were all surprised when we heard that ASD filed a complained at EFCC alleging 7.2 million naira extortion.”

He, however, said Sani must have been set up, asking , “How can  Senator Shehu Sani extort mere N7.2m  from somebody like ASD?  The point here is that we are thinking that somebody somewhere instigated ASD to go against senator since he once visited him over his daughter’s case.”