BREAKING! EFCC Releases Innoson Motors Boss, Innocent Chukwuma, As Senate Wades In 

Nigeria anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has released on bail, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, Anambra State-born industrialist, and owner of popular brand, Innoson Motors.

This is coming as the Senate on Wednesday waded into the matter with the view of resolving same.

The business man who runs a local auto assembly plant, according to EFCC, was arrested on Tuesday December 19, 2017 at his Enugu residence, following his refusal to respond to invitations by the Commission, after initially being granted administrative bail by the Commission, while his surety could also not be found.

The commission that the industrialist resisted arrest and stirred controversy by bringing six truck-loads of thugs to block the entrance to his Plot W1, Industrial Layout, Abakaliki Road, Emeni, Enugu, home.

This was after he initially misled the Police Command by informing them that his home had been invaded by armed robbers and kidnappers despite the fact that operatives of the Commission duly identified themselves to policemen guarding his home.

His unruly thugs encircled and manhandled operatives of the Commission who had gone to effect the arrest.

Consequently, a distress call was sent to the Commission’s Enugu Office for reinforcement.

In all of this, the Commission’s operatives acted with decorum and civility. No one was manhandled or assaulted by the EFCC team, and not a single shot was fired, despite the provocation, News Agency of Nigeria had reported.

Chief Chukwuma and his brother, Charles Chukwuma (who is still at large), are being investigated by the Insurance and Capital Market Fraud Section of the Commission’s office in Lagos over matters bordering on N1,478,366,859.66 fraud and forgery.

EFCC’s Head Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujeren in a statement said that the industrialist, among other infractions, allegedly used forged documents to secure tax waivers,

Meanwhile, the Senate has mandated its committee on anti-corruption and financial crimes to investigate the rationale behind the arrest of the business man and report back within 24 hours.

This decision followed a point of order raised by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

“Yesterday I got a number of messages indicating that Mr Innocent Chukwuma was arrested by the EFCC over a transaction between him and GTB,” Mr. Ekweremadu said.

Continuing, he said, “This morning I made an effort and I spoke with him, his story is straight forward, he said he was at his house at 5:00 am Tuesday morning when he heard gun shots and he thought they were assassins and so he went into hiding after about two hours he saw some police and he thought that help had come, so he came out of his hiding and ran to the police man who promptly arrested him.

“As he was trying to find out what was his offence, they told him when they get to the police station they will inform him of the offence. As at today nobody has told him what the offence is.

“Any person who is arrested and detained should be informed reason for his arrest. As I speak Mr Innoson Chukwuma is yet to be informed of what led to his arrest or detention but if you go through the media today, the story is that he is owing GTB. As a lawyer I’m at a loss how a transaction between someone and his bank will inform the EFCC.”

“The story he told me is that he is not owing the bank anything, he borrowed money from the bank which he has since repaid but the bank kept charging money and withdrawing it from his account.

“They set up an audit and the auditor came to a conclusion that they had deducted more than N500 million, he was insisting on 22 percent, the bank said they will pay 17 percent so that is where they had the disagreement and they now went to court and it gave judgement in its favour at the federal high court and the court of appeal and the matter is at the supreme court.

“The fact that matter is in court and it was a commercial transaction gives no room for the intervention of EFCC, I’d like to appeal to this Senate to ensure that Mr Innocent Chukuwma is released promptly.”

In his contribution, Sam Anyanwu, Imo-PDP, questioned the Senate’s silence over alleged continued impunity of the EFCC.

“I want to ask a question. EFCC as it stands today, does it have a chairman? Because I knew in this chamber, the head of EFCC was rejected during screening because of poor performance and yet he has been there as chairman.

Written by Joe Ogbodu

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