THE Director General of Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Mustapha Abdullahi, has dismissed reports purporting that he was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), insisting he only honoured an invitation by the anti-graft agency.
In a statement he sent to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, May 13, in Abuja, signed by his media aide, Abdulrasaq Danjuma, Abdullahi said he honoured the invitation out of respect for constituted authorities.
He charged the public to avoid speculation, misinformation, sensational commentary and the circulation of unverified claims that could distort facts, prejudice ongoing processes or create unnecessary tension.
The ECN boss also urged the public to allow the relevant agencies to carry out their responsibilities, so that the facts would emerge through lawful, transparent and due process, adding: “It is important to clarify that he was not arrested, but attended the engagement voluntarily as a responsible public servant committed to transparency and accountability.
“At this time, we respectfully urge supporters, associates, stakeholders, and members of the public to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while the appropriate authorities carry out their constitutional responsibilities.
“It is also important to emphasise that the matters currently in the public domain remain allegations subject to investigation and due legal process.
“In line with established principles of justice and fairness, every individual is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise by a court of competent jurisdiction.”
Abdullahi was earlier reported to have been arrested by operatives of the agency on Wednesday in Abuja over N500billion alleged money laundering.
The report said he was being held for questioning, quoting a source as saying investigators were interrogating him and he was expected to spend the night at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
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