The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has said that it would not succumb to threat by the spokesperson of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, to go on hunger strike if he is not released from detention.
The leadership of the PDP has accused the EFCC of double standards, wondering why Metuh is still being detained while Jafaru Isa, an APC chieftain and a close associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, was released same day he was arrested.
Both Metuh and Isa were arrested last week Tuesday for collecting N400 million and N170 million respectively from the $2.1 billion meant for arms purchase but disbursed for political purposes by former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
Reacting to the allegation of double standards on Monday, EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, told online publishers under the aegis of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers in Lagos, that the two cases were quite different.
According to Magu, when the retired Army officer was interrogated by the operatives of the Commission, he admitted to collecting N170 million and immediately returned N100 million with a promise to refund the balance on an agreed date.
The EFCC Chief said Metuh on his part, declined to refund any part of the money but rather chose the option of going on hunger strike, insisting that he must refund the money traced to him.
“The fact that we have been able to retrieve some money from him (Isa) does not mean he may not be prosecuted.
“But in the case of Metuh, he simply threatened to go on hunger strike. That won’t change anything,” Magu said.
