By Kolawole Ojebisi
A former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Uwemedimo Nwoko, has made clarifications on the purported arrest and detention of the immediate past governor of the state, Udom Emmanuel, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Nwoko dismissed reports that Emmanuel was held overnight after honouring an invitation from the anti-graft agency over allegations of money laundering and fund diversion levelled against him by the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking.
The ex-AGF spoke in Uyo on Wednesday, stressing that claims circulating on social media about the former governor were untrue.
He clarified that the former governor left the EFCC office the same day after questioning, describing reports of his detention as misleading.
“Let them go to his house and see if he’s not there. I was with him at the EFCC. He was invited, he honoured the invitation, went through the procedure, and afterward, we all returned home,” Nwoko said.
The senior lawyer also dismissed claims linking Emmanuel to a ₦700bn fraud allegation, stating that the matter was never raised during his session with the EFCC.
The former governor’s media aide, Barrister Stephen Abia, also condemned what he described as a deliberate media misrepresentation aimed at tarnishing Emmanuel’s reputation.
“An invitation is not a conviction,” Abia said. “Yesterday, in a routine exercise, Mr Udom Emmanuel honoured the EFCC’s invitation and left for his home the same evening. He was never detained, contrary to false reports.”
He urged journalists to avoid sensationalism, describing Emmanuel as a statesman of integrity who remains open to lawful engagements.
