The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has rejected a wanted alert issued by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Lagos businessman Bashir Haske, describing the move as politically motivated.
In a strongly worded statement released from its headquarters in Lyon, France, on Friday, INTERPOL stressed that it would not allow its global network to be used for cases driven by political, religious, racial, or military considerations.
“Please note that INTERPOL has no plans to help member countries advance politically motivated cases,” the organisation declared.
“Our Constitution explicitly forbids us from issuing Notices that target individuals on political, religious, racial, or military grounds.”
The rejection comes barely 24 hours after the EFCC, under its embattled chairman Ola Olukoyede, declared Haske wanted for alleged money laundering, despite a subsisting federal court order prohibiting such action.
INTERPOL’s statement also referenced Haske’s family and political ties, noting his marriage to a daughter of Nigeria’s opposition leader, Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president (1999–2007) and President Bola Tinubu’s main challenger in the 2023 elections.
Atiku has recently taken a frontline role in forming a new coalition ahead of the 2027 polls, fueling suspicions that the EFCC’s move was politically charged.
Sources told this newspaper that the development is linked to ongoing power struggles within the oil sector.
EFCC operatives, in collaboration with other security agencies, reportedly attempted earlier this month to force the resignation of NNPC’s Chief Executive, Bayo Ojulari, by detaining him and extracting a resignation letter under duress.
The plot collapsed following the intervention of First Lady Remi Tinubu, who countered the influence of Olatimbo Ayinde, a British-Nigerian businesswoman facing corruption charges in the UK, accused of orchestrating efforts to unseat Ojulari.
Mr. Haske’s current whereabouts remain unclear. Efforts to reach his representatives and NNPC’s spokesperson on Friday were unsuccessful, though sources suggested he may have left Nigeria after his brief detention last month.
Credit: PoliticsNigeria except headline
