Why we declared Atiku’s son-in-law wanted – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has provided more insights into the reason it declared Abdullahi Bashir Haske, a businessman and son-in-law of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, wanted.

The anti-graft agency specifically dismissed insinuations in some quarters that Haske was declared wanted because of his tie with the former vice president, who is a presidential hopeful in the coming 2027 presidential election.

In a telephone interview with Weekend Trust on Friday, the spokesperson of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, described the insinuation as “rubbish,” saying the commission has been investigating Haske for so many years, and that he was on an administrative bail but he jumped the process.

“Haske is someone we have been investigating for so many years. He is on administrative bail but he jumped the process and we declared him wanted. How can anybody be insinuating that?” Oyewale told our correspondent.

The commission had late Thursday evening, in an official notice, declared Atiku’s son-in-law wanted over an alleged case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

Oyewale, in the official notice he signed, urged members of the public with helpful information about Haske’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station or any of the commission’s offices nationwide.

The notice appealed to Nigerians to assist in tracking him (Haske) down by providing credible information through its offices in major cities, including Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt and Abuja.

It also noted that useful information about his whereabouts could be shared via the commission’s telephone line or email address.

The notice reads, “The public is hereby notified that Abdullahi Bashir Haske, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in an alleged case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.”

“Haske, 38, whose photograph was released by the anti-graft agency, was last known to reside at No 6, Mosley Road, Ikoyi, Lagos and 952/953 Idejo Street, Victoria Island.”