News; Release Femi Fani-Kayode Immediately- Afenifere

Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Monday, demanded immediate release of former Minister of Aviation, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, who it said would be clocking his five weeks in the Economic and Financial Crimes and other Related Offences Commission (EFCC) cell, on Wednesday.

Fani-Kayode, who was Director of Media and Publicity of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign organisation for the 2015 Presidential Election, was accused by EFCC of collecting campaign funds running into millions, for which the agency has obtained court order to detain him in its cell.

The group made this call in a release issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin, saying it was making the demand because it heard that EFCC was planning to get another detention order to ensure that Fani-Kayode was made to remain in detention.

“Afenifere demands immediate release of Femi Fani-Kayode who will be clocking five weeks in EFCC cell on Wednesday. We are being told that EFCC is planning to get another detention order to continue his incarceration,” the statement said.

The group, while expressing concern about the continued detention of the former minister, said, “We are at a loss as to why EFCC announced to the whole world that he committed a crime by collecting campaign fund and holds him for five weeks without charging him to court.

“It is in the same country that EFCC accused one Jafaru Isa of collecting money for election and allowed him to go after a night in EFCC cell.

“Why is Fani-kayode situation different if indeed it is all about corruption and not a ploy to keep him out of circulation for his critical views, especially on the criminalities of the Fulani herdsmen,” it added.

It, therefore, demanded that Fani-Kayode be charged to court immediately or set free if there was no charge against him.

“We demand that he be charged to court immediately or set free if there is no charge against him,” the group said.