Breaking News: EFCC Arrests Innocent Chukwuma, Innoson Motors Boss

Dr. Innocent Chukwuma

CEO of Innocent Motors arrested.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Innocent Chukwuma, the founder and chairman of Innoson Motors.

A spokesperson of the company, Cornel Osigwe, said that Chukwuma was arrested at his residence in Enugu around 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

Osigwe said, “His arrest is in connection to the ongoing case he has with GTBank.”

Osigwe disclosed to Premium Times that his boss was accused of jumping bail and wondered how someone who was never invited by the anti-graft agency or arrested would be levelled with such accusation.

“He was never invited by the EFCC, we challenge them to come forward with any evidence showing that he jumped bail.

“This is GTBank using federal authorities to persecute an illustrious citizen who has done a lot to improve the economic development of this country,” he said.

A spokesperson for GTBank, Meksley Nwagboh, however, denied the bank’s hands in the arrest, saying if the “EFCC arrested him they will be in a best position to comment on the reason for his arrest.”

The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said he had not been briefed about the arrest when reached for comments.

Naija News gathered that Innoson Company accused GTBank of being indebted to the auto manufacturing company up to N8.5 billion in a series of damages that originated from illegal service deductions by the bank.

Premium Times reports that an initial fraud case brought against Chukwuma was withdrawn earlier this year. But the Attorney-General Abubakar Malami resuscitated the case at the Federal High Court in Abuja as GTBank maintains its allegations that Chukwuma manipulated bank and shipping documents to obtain tax waivers from the Nigerian government.

Updates later….