Innoson’s CEO: I hid for over two hours before EFCC took me away in pyjamas

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.