The Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Group, Innocent Chukwuma has insisted that his arrest was illegal, stating that he was never invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Chukwuma said this on Thursday after he returned to Enugu.
Background:
The EFCC had arrested Chukwuma, stating that he had refused to honour its invitations.
However, the Innoson boss argued that he was never invited.
Chukwuma was later granted bail which he initially refused.
What Chukwuma said:
“I still maintain that my arrest was illegal, as there was never a period that EFCC under the leadership of Ibrahim Magu invited me for any reason,” he said.
“In due time, I will tell Nigerians the whole truth about this matter. I intend to work with the EFCC on this alleged investigation so as to clear my name which has been badly damaged, and I will follow up this so-called investigation to its logical conclusion.
“The EFCC came to my house, jumped over the fence of my compound and whisked me away, but all Nigerians refused to accept this.
“So, I am thanking everybody who fought in this matter because I was surprised when the EFCC jumped into my compound very early in the morning. When I saw them, I thought they were kidnappers or armed robbers, only to notice that they were actually from the EFCC.
“Immediately I saw them around 5:30a.m, I hid for over two hours until when the weather became a little bit clearer around 7:30am, when I was able to see that they were putting on police uniform. Suddenly, I began to hear gunshots and that was when I realised that many policemen had come into my compound, and that was when I came out of my hideout.
“When I came out, they said they wanted to arrest me and that they are from the EFCC, I followed them to their office in Enugu, but up till now, they have not told me my offence.
“They arrested me like a criminal, I was putting on the pyjamas I woke up in and was taken to the airport in shorts and singlet, from there to Lagos.
“If they had invited me or written any letter to me, I would have honoured the invitation because I am a genuine businessman and industrialist. I don’t have anything in my cupboard to hide. And that is why I insisted they should tell me what I did, but till now I haven’t been told my offence.”
