The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has released the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Innoson Motors, Mr Innocent Chukwuma.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has released the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Innoson Motors, Mr Innocent Chukwuma.



Spokesman for the anti-graft agency, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who signed the statement, said Chukwuma was arrest on Tuesday following his refusal to respond to invitations by the Commission.

He said the businessman who runs a local auto assembly plant was initially granted administrative bail by the Commission while his surety could also not be found.

The statement read in part: “Unfortunately the industrialist resisted arrest and stirred controversy by bringing six truck-loads of thugs to block the entrance to his Plot W1, Industrial Layout, Abakaliki Road, Emeni, Enugu, home.

“This was after he initially misled the Police Command by informing them that his home had been invaded by armed robbers and kidnappers despite the fact that operatives of the Commission duly identified themselves to policemen guarding his home.

“His unruly thugs encircled and manhandled operatives of the Commission who had gone to effect the arrest. Consequently, a distress call was sent to the Commission’s Enugu Office for reinforcement. In all of this, the Commission’s operatives acted with decorum and civility. No one was manhandled or assaulted by the EFCC team, and not a single shot was fired, despite the provocation.”

Senate Blasts EFCC For Arresting Innoson Boss, Orders Probe

Uwujaren said the Innoson boss is being investigated alongside his brother, Charles Chukwuma, who is said to be at large by the EFCC over matters bordering on N1,478,366,859.66 alleged fraud and forgery.

He added that the industrialist allegedly used forged documents to secure tax waivers among other infractions.

Moments after the news of his release, Chukwuma’s company said on their Twitter handle that he has refused the bail granted him by the Commission and was demanding to why he was arrested.

When contacted via telephone, the EFCC spokesman, however, confirmed to Channels Television that the industrialist had left their custody.



Chukwuma’s release, however, comes hours after the Innoson Group disagreed with the anti-graft agency and faulted the allegations levelled against its CEO.

The Group, in a statement signed by its Head of Corporate Communications, Cornel Osigwe, said Chukwuma never ignored invitation extended to him by the commission, neither did he mobilised thugs to manhandle any EFCC official.

“Chukwuma is a law-abiding citizen; there is no how he would be invited by the EFCC and he would ignore or refuse to honour the invitation. Dr Chukwuma has never had any issues or query from the EFCC recently.

“The last issue he had with EFCC was an invitation extended to him in 2012 based on a complaint against him by Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), which he duly honoured.

“We challenge EFCC to show proof and evidence of EFCC invitation extended to Dr Chukwuma; the various dates of the invitation and the letter of the invitation extended to him,” the statement had read.

The arrest has also sparked criticism and attracted the attention of the Senate which mandated its Committee on Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption to investigate the actions of the EFCC.

The lawmakers also accused the Commission of using the military approach on citizens and directed the committee to report back on Thursday, December 21.