Innocent Chukwuma, chief executive officer (CEO) of Innoson
Group, says he was taken out of his house in Enugu in pyjamas.
Chukwuma
said this when he returned to Enugu on Thursday afternoon.
Operatives
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) picked him up on Tuesday
morning, saying he had refused to honour several invitations by the agency.
But
the billionaire businessman denied the claim and said not even once has the
commission under the leadership of Ibrahim Magu invited him.
Describing
his arrest as illegal, Chukwuma promised to “reveal the truth” in due time.
He
also accused Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) of writing a false petition against him
but thanked Nigerians for standing by him.
“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.
“I
want to thank all Nigerians who stood by me, because GT Bank wrote a false
petition against me.
“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.”
Chukwuma also denied the allegation of the EFCC
that he forged tax waiver
document
“I
have never in my life owed any tax, I pay all my taxes and all my duties. I am
a genuine businessman and industrialist, I have a history in my business,” he
said.
- The Cable
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