Senate is Against the Unlawful Arrest of Innoson Motors Boss, Innocent Chukwuma

The Senate is Against the Unlawful Arrest of Innoson Motors Boss, Innocent Chukwuma.

The case has come up repeatedly in the National Assemble. Accusations, excesses, and high handedness by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu is displeased that EFCC officials on Tuesday December 19th 2017 arrested an industrialist and chairperson of indigenous automobile company Innoson Motors Mr. Innocent Chukwuma at his resident in Enugu. 

According to the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu that “he (Innocent Chukwuma) was bundled like a common criminal with a mere transaction between him and his bank (GTBank) and what he (Innocent Chukwuma) told him (Ike Ekweremadu) was that he (Innocent Chukwuma)  is not owing the bank anything. He (Innocent Chukwuma) borrowed money from the bank, which has since to be paid and the bank (GTBank) keeps charging him money and deducting money from his account. Therefore, he probably reported the matter to the bank.

Between him and the bank they setup an audit and the auditor came to a conclusion that the bank has over deducted by N500, 000,000 and so the bank was ready to pay but he (Innocent Chukwuma) was insisting on 22% interest on the deduction because the loan he (Innocent Chukwuma) got from the bank was at 22% interest rate”.

Some lawmakers false the EFCC for intervening for what they say is purely business matter

Mr. Enyinaya Abaribe a member of PDP Abia State asked the question “how can state institutions be used for personal purposes, whether it is a bank or is an individual or a government official. This is supposed to be a parallel transaction that is already in the court”.

EFCC has violated section 36 that gives right to fair hearing

According to Senator Olusola Adeyeye a member of APC Osun State, that EFCC has violated section 36 that gives right to fair hearing and that includes fair summoning. In addition, if a case was taken to court by a Nigerian and this Nigerian won in the High Court and this Nigerian won in the Court of Appeal and the bank has not gone to the Supreme Court, what is the business of the EFCC. 

Journalists attempted to get the EFCC chairperson Mr. Ibrahim Magu to respond to the senate allegations of high handedness levelled against him when he came to the National Assemble in the afternoon. 

In the meantime, the senate committee on anti-corruption and financial crime has 24 hours to investigate the matter and report to the senate.