Shortly before he vacated office as Senate President, residential houses belonging to Bukola Saraki located in Ikoyi, Lagos were sealed off by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Saraki however insisted that the action of the EFCC was a witch-hunt, claiming that the property in question have been investigated by the commission several times in the past.

Reacting to the development then, Afenifere, Yoruba socio-political organisation described the action of the anti-graft agency as political vendetta, saying the EFCC under its Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu is engaging in persecution instead of prosecution.

Yinka Odumakin, the organisation’s national publicity secretary said while Afenifere is not against probing anyone who is suspected to be corrupt, engaging in media trial and seizure of properties even before charges are filed is not a proper way to go about investigation.

“ I think it is more of persecution than prosecution because if you are doing corruption investigation, there are ways to go about it. All the media trial that EFCC is doing and going about seizing properties when it has not filed any charges is clear that there is some political vendetta at work”.

“We are not against investigation of anybody for alleged corruption because nobody is above the law. But when you begin to show that you are engaged in persecution rather than prosecution, it doesn’t speak well”.

“I don’t think Saraki is the only politician in Nigeria today. Why is it only Saraki that EFCC is investigating , starting from 2003 when he was state governor and senate president ? It is very unfortunate the way they are going about it” Afenifere said.