SAN FRANCISCO, November 17, (THEWILL) – Former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, who was on Monday released from Kuje Prisons following the bail granted him by a high court, has shared his experiences while in detention after he was arrested by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over allegations of fraud.
Fani-Kayode, who is facing multiple charges of money laundering in Abuja and Lagos federal courts, said the allegations are spurious and politically-motivated.
“I am innocent of all the charges and allegations and as I have said elsewhere the whole thing is an attempt by the Federal Government and an increasingly desperate EFCC that is obsessed with my name and putting me away to discredit, break and silence me,” he said.
It would be recalled that the former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan 2015 presidential campaign was in May first arrested by the EFCC and detained till July before he was arraigned before a federal judge in Lagos from when he was granted bail. On October 21, he was re-arrested by the anti-graft agency after making an appearance in a Lagos court.
In an article titled ‘Head bloodied but now bowed and the ascension of President-Elect Donald Trump’, he wrote: “Throughout the time of the second detention I was kept in a dingy underground cell at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja where I met a number of other high profile opposition figures like Senator Bala Mohammed, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the former Minister of State for Defence and Reuben Abati, the former spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan.
“During the course of my 21 day incarceration my abductors did not ask me any questions or say one word to me other than to formally serve me with a new set of fresh criminal charges the morning after I got there which I simply signed for.
“After that I heard nothing from them and I was told nothing though I had daily visits to the medical clinic at the EFCC due to my deteriorating health.
“Thankfully I was granted bail by the court and I was detained at Kuje prison for a further 4 days whilst I attempted to perfect my bail.
“At Kuje I was kept in the terrorist wing of the prison which was built by the British government specifically for Boko Haram convicts and suspects.
“There were 47 of them in the facility and I was with them throughout. These were tough, disciplined, hardened, surprisingly well-educated and intimidating men.
“The single cells and the entire terrorist section of the prison was pervaded by an eerie silence throughout the night and low tone whispers throughout the day. The only thing that broke the monotony of silence was the regular and constant call to Muslim prayers and the loud and regular cries of ‘Allahu Akbar.’
“This was a frightful place and those that were locked up there were very dangerous and frightful people yet thankfully the Lord went ahead of me.
“The single cells, though small, were clean, self-contained, well-ventilated, dry and very neat. The inmates were surprisingly very kind and friendly towards me and turned out to be my best friends and bodyguards whenever I toured the other parts of the prison.
“I was very impressed with them and when I heard their stories and what some of them had been subjected to by the security forces and the state tears came to my eyes.
“Most of those men were not Boko Haram killers but had been falsely accused, tortured and just dumped into prison and I felt nothing but pain and sorrow when I heard their stories.
Fani-Kayode also revealed that during his time in prison, he paid a visit to co-detainee and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, who he described as a “great and brilliant freedom fighter”.
Fani-Kayode continued that he had never met Nnamdi before yet was amazed at his depth of knowledge, his immense courage and his deep convictions.
His words, “There is no doubt in my mind that that man is going places and in him the Igbo have an Ojukwu and a Nnamdi Azikiwe all rolled into one. He is destined for greatness.
“My Boko Haram friends accompanied me to that meeting, drew a ten man security cordon around me when we entered the general population of the prison and waited outside as Nnamdi and I spoke for almost three hours.
“They even accompanied me to Church on Sunday and waited outside until we finished.
“Given what I have written about Boko Haram in the past and given my total aversion to any form of violence, terrorism and radical Islam, this was a classic case of God granting me favour before my enemies.
“Everyone dreaded them in that prison but I am proud to say that they were my friends and I will never forget their courage, kindness and fellowship for the rest of my life.”
