Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Saturday arrested two sons of a former Governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji.
The arrest was said to have been carried out in an apartment in Maitama area of Abuja, where the sons of Orji, now a senator, have a flat to themselves, and two sons of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, also have a flat.
According to information available to The Eagle Online, the name of one of the children of Orji arrested was Chiemeka, while the sons of Abubakar living in the same premises have been identified as Mustapha and Aliyu.
But both Mustapha and Aliyu Abubakar are said to be out of the country for their Master’s programme in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The DSS operatives on arriving at the premises, discovered that Abubakar’s sons were not in the country.
They then reportedly quizzed Chiemeka and his brother, demanding to know where former Vice President Abubakar stashes money in the house.
They were said to have told the Orjis that they had information that they are in the know about the movement of cash into the house and where it is stored.
They asked Chiemeka and his brother to lead them to the flat occupied by the Abubakars but were told they didn’t have access to the flat as Mustapha and Aliyu were out of Nigeria.
The duo also denied knowledge of money being stashed in the compound.
They were then taken to the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja, where they were grilled for several hours.
Though they were released, the Orjis had two of their vehicles towed away to the premises of the EFCC.
They are yet to retrieve their vehicles as at press time.
Another source said despite the position of the Orjis that they did not have access to the flat, the EFCC operatives still forced their way into the apartment.
The Spokesman of the former Vice President, Mazi Paul Ibe, confirmed the development to The Eagle Online.
Ibe, however, declined further details.
But another source in the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation told The Eagle Online that the development was “a classical case of intimidation by the President Muhammadu Buhari goaded EFCC”.
The source recalled the recent freezing of the bank accounts of the vice presidential candidate of the party for the 2019 election, Peter Obi, alongside those of his wife, relatives and companies.
He also alluded to the raiding of the flat of one of the spokesmen of the PPCO, Dr. Doyin Okupe, by operatives of the EFCC and his being taken away to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.The source added: “These are very cowardly moves by this Administration.
“The EFCC could only have arrested and intimidated Senator Orji’s sons because of the belief they could force them to rope in Atiku’s children.
“We are watching and keeping a tab on this.”
The EFCC was yet to issue a statement on this development as at press time.