Ooni didn’t visit Emefiele at Kuje prison, says aide

Moses Olafere, spokesperson to Adeyeye Ogunwasi, the Ooni of Ife, says the monarch did not go to Kuje correctional facility to visit Godwin Emefiele, former governor the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

On Wednesday, the monarch was said to have visited the facility, after which there were reports that he went to meet and seek the release of the former CBN governor.

Reacting to the development, Olafere said his principal visited the prison to attend an event organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), to give hope to inmates who are at the final stage of their stay in prison and would soon be reintegrated into society.

“The intent of those spreading the news was to blackmail the monarch. There is nothing hidden about the event,” Olafere said.

“In any case, the king never met Emefiale because it was an official event organised by the NGO in conjunction with the Kuje correction centre.

“The programme centres around giving hope to the inmates that, after serving out their terms, they still have hope to reintegrate back to the society,” he said.

“The Arole Ooni was invited to chair the event in commemoration of his eighth anniversary on the throne.

“What is exclusive about a public programme where different public figures spoke and representatives of the inmates also spoke? How then did the Ooni manage to meet Emefiele?

“We must be careful with how people spread falsehoods about people. The video of the event is available to the public.

“I am not even sure Emefiele attended the programme because he is only in detention and not an inmate yet, so why link the programme to Emefiele? It is simply to achieve  blackmail.”