EFCC: Magu under fire over arrest of Innoson boss

EFCC: Magu under fire over arrest of Innoson boss

The Senate has mandated its committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest of chairman of Innoson Group, Dr Innocent Chukwuma and report back on Thursday.

It mandated the Senator Chukwuka Utazi-led committee to investigate claims that an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) slapped the wife of Mr Chukwuma during the raid of his house in Enugu.

The red chamber also called for the immediate and unconditional release of the businessman.

Chukwuma was reportedly arrested at his Enugu home on Tuesday by operatives of EFCC, over his alleged refusal to repay a loan to Guaranty Trust Bank.

This came under Order 42 of the Senate Standing Rules as the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, told his colleagues that the arrest of the businessman was a national disgrace and an abuse of his fundamental human rights.

“The detention of owner of Innoson Motors is the issue. It is purely a civil matter. At the inception of this Senate, we took an oath to defend the constitution.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), I got a number of messages over a matter between Chukwuma and GTBank. They (EFCC operatives) came into his compound and he heard gunshots.

“He looked through the window and thought help had come. He had to come out of his hiding. Instead, a policeman arrested him. He asked what his offence was. He was told he will be told when they get to the station. The constitution is clear that no person should be detained

more than 24 hours without telling him his offence. As I speak, he is yet to be told of his offence,” Ekweremadu said.

His position was re-echoed by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. In his contribution, Abaribe said if the Senate failed to act, members may soon become victims.

He specifically cited the ongoing investigation and invitation of the immediate past Senate President, David Mark, by the anti-graft agency.

Abaribe questioned the continuous stay of Magu in office, despite his rejection by the Senate on two occasions.

“Magu is still holding sway because certain people who own Nigeria have vowed that he must remain in office,” he said.

He wondered how a financial transaction between an individual and the bank got the attention of EFCC.

“EFCC is getting involved in self-help. We are not running the Banana Republic. This is because we have a man in EFCC who was not cleared by the Senate. He is still there. Maybe they will come after me when I finish speaking. This government must look at how institutions function,” he said.

Senator Barnabas Gemade said the arrest of Chukwuma was an abuse and misuse of power.

He said it was wrong for the EFCC to arrest a reputable entrepreneur and warned that it could send wrong signals to his foreign partners.

“It will reduce the status of this Senate if we begin to mention names of bank managers who hide stolen funds for corrupt individuals.

“The Senate should condemn what has happened to Chukwuma who has created over 50,000 jobs. If there is a problem, the bank should settle it. They should not use an inept institution like the EFCC to hound hardworking Nigerians. We call for his immediate release,” he said.

Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, in his contribution, said the action of EFCC was inherited from the military era.

He said Chukwuma could have been invited without resorting to the invasion of his private residence.

Senate Chief Whip, Professor Olusola Adeyeye, said if a man of Chukwuma’s influence could be arrested like a common criminal, no Nigerian was, therefore, safe in the country.

“I am sad. I believe that my sadness envelopes the whole

chamber. When injustice is forced on any Nigerian, it is forced on all of us. When you can treat someone who can call a politician and have any access to anyone can be arrested like a criminal, then we are in trouble.

“It means if anybody writes a petition to the EFCC, any of us here can be arrested,” he said.

Senator Sam Anyanwu asked: “Is Magu the only person in this country? Are there no other Nigerians who can do the

job? Is there anybody who is not owing banks? One day, the EFCC will arrest a man who cannot impregnate his wife.”

Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Bwacha Emmanuel, said he was embarrassed by the action of the EFCC, adding that as a parliament, the Senate must take a position.

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, in his intervention, said the action of EFCC did not speak well of the country. He said in the United States of America, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) did not get involved in trivial issues like this.

“Truly, those who have contributed have raised important issues. As a society, this does not speak well for the country. How a private transaction has become the business of the EFCC is what I do not know.

“I have not seen the FBI intervenes between people involved in a transaction. We are just making a mockery of the institution,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, the Innoson Group has debunked the claim that its chairman was arrested for his refusal to honour invitation from EFCC.

This was disclosed by the Head, Corporate Communications, Innoson Group, Cornel Osigwe, in a statement released on Wednesday.

According to Osigwe, Dr Chukwuma was never invited by the commission for the allegation, adding that the invitation being claimed by the EFCC was an issue he had with the commission in 2012, based on a complaint against him by GTB and which he duly honoured.

The statement also clarified that Dr Chukwuma never refused arrest nor employed any “hoodlums” to resist his arrest as being speculated by the EFCC.

“Inasmuch as we would not want to join words with EFCC, we would, for record purposes, state the facts on the alleged invitation as well as what happened in his residence during his arrest yesterday.

“Dr Chukwuma has never had any issue or query from the EFCC recently. The last issue he had with EFCC was an invitation extended to him in 2012, based on a complaint against him by Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), which he duly honoured.

“Upon the completion of the investigation, EFCC requested him through a letter to pay some money to GTBank, saying that the money is what Innoson owes GTB after deducting an excess charge of about N560 Million which GTB illegally and unlawfully took from their account.

“Innoson rejected the demand, maintaining that it was GTB that was owing it and that GTB is to pay interest on the excess and unlawful charges.

“This resulted in a stalemate between Innoson and EFCC. Consequently, Innoson commenced a lawsuit against GTB at Federal High Court in Suit No: FHC/AWK/139/2012 at Federal High Court Awka division and thereat got a judgment in its favour in the sum of N4.7 billion against GTB.

“As a consequence of the above, EFCC filed a charge against him at the Lagos High Court. The charge was subsequently struck out after EFCC filed a notice of discountenancing. However, Dr Innocent Chukwuma and Innoson Nigeria Ltd appealed against the order striking out the case on the basis that it ought to be dismissed and not struck out.

“The appeal- appeal no: CA/I/1330Cm/2017, till date is still pending at the court of Appeal Lagos State. Since then EFCC has never invited Dr Chukwuma again.

“We challenge the EFCC to show proof and evidence of EFCC invitation extended to Dr Chukwuma; the various dates of the invitation and the letter of an invitation extended to him.

“We further challenge EFCC to also show proof of how and when did Dr Chukwuma jump an administrative bail granted to him.

“EFCC also claimed that Dr Chukwuma is being investigated by the Capital Market and Insurance Fraud Unit of the commission’s Lagos office. We equally challenge EFCC to show proof of this investigation; on whose petition is this investigation being carried out and proof of any letter on this investigation ever written to Innoson from this unit, stating also the month and year,” the statement read.

It added that the EFCC was being economical with the truth by stating that Dr Chukwuma “mobilised six truckloads of thugs pretending to be the staff of his company to his residence, where they manhandled EFCC operatives.”

According to the statement, “the truth available at our disposal is that some factory workers, on hearing their boss was being arrested, mobilised themselves to his residence to protest what they said was an illegal arrest.

“However the EFCC operatives, together with the police team, fired tear gas and dispersed them. We have pictures to back up our claim. At no point did these factory workers manhandle the armed EFCC and police officials at his residence. This is pure falsehood aimed at tarnishing the reputation of Dr Chukwuma.