CJN Disowns Shehu Sani on Alleged Extortion

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Ibrahim Muhammad has distanced himself from Senator Shehu Sani, currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged extortion.

Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 8th National Assembly, was alleged to have obtained funds from a businessman, Alhaji Sani Dauda, owner of ASD Motors, claiming he could influence the outcome of some cases involving Dauda.

He was said to have claimed to have access to the CJN, some other judges and the head of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, and in the process, allegedly took money from the businessman.

But in a statement yesterday, spokesman for the Supreme Court, Festus Akande, said “Senator Shehu Sani is not known to the CJN.”

Akande said, although the issues about the senator’s claimed relationship with the

CJN and his (Senator Sani’s) alleged fraudulent conduct were still being investigated, Justice Muhammad has found it necessary, at this stage, to distance himself from the ex-senator.

The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to the story making the round in some national dailies where it was reported that Senator Shehu Sani allegedly approached Alhaji Sani Dauda of ASD Motors and purportedly demanded for the sum of N4,000,000 to give to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Dr. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, to settle some unnamed four judges over a case he (Shehu Sani) allegedly claimed won’t see the light of the day.

“Let it be known that if the statement credited to Shehu Sani was actually made by him, it is simply a blatant lie, a figment of his imagination and an orchestrated falsehood immodestly concocted to malign, smear and disingenuously tarnish the good image and reputation of the CJN with a view to gaining financial reward.