Metuh innocent, he only carried out some ‘urgent national assignments’ for Jonathan, says family

The family of Olisa Metuh, spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), wants the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to either release or charge him to court.

The family said Metuh had no hand in the arms-cash scandal, but only carried out some urgent national assignments as instructed by Goodlucj Jonathan, the former president.

On Tuesday, The ECC arrested the PDP spokesman at his residence in Abuja. He has been in the custody of the anti-graft agency since that time, refusing to eat or to drink for fear of being poisoned.

“The Metuh family – the Obi-Ezeani-Nnewi – has noted with grave concern the continued incarceration of our Diokpa and spokesperson of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Olisa Metuh (Ugochidebelu Nnewi) since his arrest Tuesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” the family said in a statement on Thursday.

“Whereas the charges for which Chief Metuh is being detained for over 48 hours now have not been formally made known to the family and the general public, we have noted some sensational publications in a section of the media claiming that our son collected the sum of N1.4 billion from the arms deal cash and has been collecting N4 million monthly as from the Office of the former National Security Adviser.

“We have confronted our son with this allegations and he assured us that they are completely false.

“However, he acknowledged that in the course of his duties as the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, the then leader of the party and President of the country directed him to carry out some urgent national assignment relating to his office, which the former President duly funded and which he duly carried out to the satisfaction of the former President.

“The family therefore views the publications bandying the figure of N1.4 billion and alleged collection of N4 million stipend from the Office of the NSA as deliberate blackmail aimed at inflaming public sentiments against our son.

“Our biggest concern for now is the health and safety of our son, who even before his arrest has alerted the nation about various threats to his life, a stance that is not unconnected to his position as the spokesperson of the opposition. Our position is more so as he has refused to eat following fears of intentions to poison him in detention.

“In view of the above therefore, we demand that the EFCC immediately release our son, Chief Metuh (Ugochidebelu Nnewi) from detention or charge him to court.”