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FFK’s Police Invitation: APC urges caution

APC

…as former DG argues that he should’ve consulted DSS, not going publicly

By Tom Okpe

As the Nigeria Police Force invites Femi Fani Kayode, Director of Special Projects and New Media of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, (PCC) for questioning over some national security issues, the All Progressives Congress, (APC) has called for caution over politicising the invitation.

The letter dated February 13, 2023, extended an invitation to Fani-Kayode, for a meeting on on February 14, 2023.

Recall that Fani-Kayode was invited and vigorously interrogated by the Department of State Services, (DSS) regarding his tweet about newspaper reports alleging that Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) was in secret meetings with Army Generals.

Following his interrogation by DSS, last Monday, February 13, 2023, he was admitted to administrative bail and ordered to report daily to the DSS as they continue their investigation into the matter.

According to a statement on Wednesday, signed by Barr Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the party, the invitation issued by the Nigeria Police Force to Chief Fani-Kayode to appear before them ostensibly on the same subject-matter, already under meticulous investigation by the DSS, “gives us cause for concern not only on account of duplication of effort by coordinate law enforcement agencies but its possible implications for his fundamental rights.”

The party said: “Chief Fani-Kayode is an upstanding and law-abiding citizen of Nigeria. He honoured the invitation by the DSS and submitted himself fully, to their investigative authority, and continues to cooperate with the investigation.

“While we recognize the constitutional authority of the Nigeria Police Force to initiate and conduct criminal investigations, we urge extreme caution in this matter so as not to inadvertently lend itself to unnecessary speculation as to the rationale for simultaneous and multiple investigation into this matter.

“The PDP has continued to relentlessly exploit and politicize this matter that is the active subject of law enforcement investigation which is unconscionable and disturbing.”

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Meanwhile, a former Director of the DSS, Mike Ejiofor opined that Fani-Kayode would have consulted the Security Service secretly, instead of going publicly.

The President, ALUMNI Association of Nigeria Institute of Security Studies, (NISS) told our correspondent that Fani-Kayode, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN) and highly placed Nigerian knows that his ‘Tweet’ was capable of “inflinching passion or, inciting Nigerians,” describing it as “unfortunate.”

He said much will not be said or done until the DSS finishes its investigations saying; “Two options are at play here; either he is cautioned or prosecuted, but, the facts be must established and cannot be swept under the carpet.”

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