‘EFCC arrested Bauchi AG to silence Bala Mohammed’

A political group, Eyes on Democracy has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of an attempt to silence the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, whom they said has been a critic of the government.

It alleged that the Commission has become a political tool, used to silence dissenting voices against the government in power.

EFCC had last week arrested Mr Sirajo Jaja, the serving Accountant General of Bauchi State over alleged mismanagement of N70bn. Jaja was arrested in Abuja while attending a meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

Addressing the press on Monday, Leader of the Group, Munir Aska, said that: “We believe that the recent detention of the Accountant General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Jaja, by the EFCC while he was attending the FAAC meeting in
Abuja is politically motivated and orchestrated by political adversaries to silence Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, for being the strongest voice of Nigeria’s masses amidst the bad governance of the All Progressive Congress.”

He added that the group strongly condemned the arrest, which it view as nothing but “a politically motivated witch hunt” designed to intimidate Governor Bala Mohammed and his administration.

He said that “This desperate move is clearly an attempt to silence a courageous leader who has consistently spoken truth to power, refusing to be cowed by the forces that seek to suppress democracy and good governance.”

The group believed that it is no coincidence that “these arrests and intimidation of Bauchi State Government officials are happening at a time when Bala Mohammed has remained vocal in challenging the excesses of the presidency and standing firm in defense of the interests of the Nigerian people.

“His bold stance has made him a target for persecution, and the EFCC is being weaponised as an instrument of political oppression rather than a true anti-corruption agency.”

It demanded immediate release of the arrested officers of the state and if found wanting should be prosecuted by a competent court of law.