Ex-DMI Gen Wiwa not arrested – EFCC

Contrary to news making the rounds in the media that former Director of Military Intelligence, Major General Wiwa younger brother to the late Ogoni rights activist Ken Saro Wiwa who was executed by the Abacha government has been arrested; The New Diplomat can authoritatively reveal that Gen. Letam Wiwa was at no time arrested.

The media was awashed with the news that Gen. Wiwa has been arrested in connection with the on-going $2.1BN arms deal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has also come out to refute the news.

“I can’t find any such detainee in our records,” said EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, in response to enquiries. “I can’t find anything on him.”

Reports in some newspapers had claimed Monday morning that Mr. Wiwa, a major general, was arrested at the weekend and transferred to Abuja for further questioning by EFCC operatives over alleged involvement in a $2.1 billion arms deal

Mr. Wiwa, who is currently the deputy commandant at the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, is reported to be in his office at the time of filling this report.

Sources close to him said he expressed shock on hearing about the story

He was said to have confided in close relatives the he just woke up this morning, and people started calling him that they saw reports of his arrest in the papers.

He was reported to have expressed shock that it must be a magic arrest.

‘I am sitting in my office in Oshodi, Lagos. The papers were just too audacious. They didn’t even ask the army whether any such arrest happened. There was not even an invitation, let alone an arrest,’ he was reported to have told well-wishers who called him to enquire.

According to him, the operations of the DMI have nothing to do with procurement of equipment for the army or any security agency.

The spokesperson for the army, Sani Usman, a colonel, was not immediately available to comment for this story.

When contacted, he requested that a text message enquiry be sent to him.

He is yet to respond to that message as at the time of this report.