By David-Chyddy Eleke
A lawyer, Mr. Mike Ikegbunam, has raised the alarm over the disappearance of a community leader, Elder Emma Nwasor of Obunasator community, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, from the custody of the Enugu zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ikegbunam, who is the counsel to Obunasator community, while briefing journalists yesterday in Awka, said the Obunasator community has been thrown into mourning over the disappearance of their leader.
He said: “My client was arrested at a Fidelity Bank branch in Awka December 16, 2020, by persons from zonal office of the EFCC. On December 17, I went to the EFCC office in Enugu, and after talking to them, they agreed to grant him bail.
“They gave us their bail form which stipulated the conditions of bail, including that only a level 16 civil servant residing in Enugu can take him on bail. They told us we should perfect his bail condition and take him home.
“On December 18, I called an EFCC agent, Isa Joshua of the EG department in the zonal office of the commission, who is in charge of the matter, and he told me that my client was taken that same morning by men of Department of State Services (DSS) to Abuja.”
Ikegbunam said though the commission was unable to present him with the petition upon which his client was arrested, Nwasor told him that they (EFCC) were asking about some huge sums of money that passed through his account, but he told them the money belonged to the community, and that he had the right to disburse it.
The lawyer lamented that his client had gone missing from the EFCC custody just as they were unable to tell his whereabouts.
“I have sent someone there, and the zonal head of EFCC, Johnson Oshodi, told him that my client was now with the Army Intelligence Corp in Abuja. This was the same person that told me that he was taken by DSS. So, we are doubtful of the situation.
“I am appealing to the EFCC headquarters to quickly clear the air on this. They should intervene by prevailing on the Zonal Head of the commission, Oshodi, to provide my client. We condemn this act because humans should not be treated this way in a democratic society.
“I know what he is doing is a ploy to keep my client until after Christmas. I must also tell them that my client is ill, which they (EFCC) confirmed, and said they had bought him medication,” he stated.
When THISDAY reached Isa Joshua of the Enugu zonal office of EFCC, who is in charge of the matter, he accepted that Ikegbunam has been in the commission to ask for the whereabouts of his client, but added that he does not have the right to speak to journalists, more so as the lawyer had already been talking with the zonal head.
“I am not of the media department, so I may not be able to speak to you. The lawyer you mentioned has been here too, and had talked to my boss, so, I cannot speak with you,” Joshua said.
