The deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, said on Friday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission agreed to delay his interrogation that began on Tuesday after he told investigators he was “not feeling well.”
Mr Ekweremadu was questioned by anti-graft detectives on allegations of conspiracy, illicit asset purchases and money laundering from Tuesday morning until late evening.
He was released on administrative bail and scheduled to return on Wednesday morning for continuous interrogation.
Although he returned to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday as directed, he quickly sought a leave to attend to his health which suddenly became fragile between Tuesday night when he concluded his first day of questioning and Wednesday morning, his spokesperson said in a Friday morning statement.
Uche Anichukwu was responding to reports that his principal took ill after developing a high blood pressure under blistering interrogation by EFCC detectives on Wednesday.
“There was no interrogation whatsoever on Wednesday, let alone presentation of so-called additional “facts” that purportedly triggered his blood pressure,” Mr Anichukwu said.
He slammed the reports as an “orchestrated media trial”, adding that Mr Ekweremadu was able to convince EFCC doctors that he was too indisposed to be interrogated.
“It was agreed that a new date would be fixed for continuation of the interview,” Mr Anichukwu said.
A spokesperson for the EFCC did not immediately return requests for comments Friday morning.
Mr Ekweremadu, deputy senate president since 2007, has been accused by federal authorities of owning questionable properties in at least three foreign countries.
A presidential panel tracking illicit assets identified some of Mr Ekweremadu’s local and foreign assets for seizure earlier this year, a proceeding the top lawmaker condemned as a political witch-hunt for his criticism of the Buhari administration.
