The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  says the former senator who represented  Kaduna Central at the Nigerian Senate, Shehu Sani has questions to answer over alleged extortion.

The EFCC made this known in an official statement on Friday. The agency arrested Sani  two weeks ago and detained him.

EFCC had accused Sani of obtaining money from Alhaji Sani Dauda, owner of ASD Motors, promising to pass it on to Mr Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the anti-graft agency, to influence an investigation. He is also alleged to have  said he could assist Dauda in influencing a case at the Supreme Court by bribing Ibrahim Muhammad, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and some other judges.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria has since denied having any links to the former senator.

In a statement on Friday, Tony Orilade, EFCC’s acting spokesman, said Sani’s rights are not being breached as there is a valid court order obtained by the anti-graft agency to keep him in custody.

“Invariably, claims in some quarters of the breach of his fundamental human rights are merely in the imagination of the purveyors of such claims,” the acting EFCC spokesman said.

“Let it be stated clearly that Senator Shehu Sani has questions to answer as regards his alleged involvement in name-dropping, and particularly that he obtained $25,000 from Alhaji Sani Dauda, the ASD Motors boss, in order to help shield him from investigations being carried out by the EFCC.

“For certain people to brazenly come out to defend a suspect who is being probed for a serious offence as the one committed by Sani shows that they are not really conversant with his offence.

“It is unfortunate that certain people are ready to do anything to support evil for pecuniary gains.” he said.