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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
Traditional rulers and key stakeholders from the nine states of the Niger Delta region have faulted the claims of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on the reasons why the executive director of Operations and Technical of the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, Captain Warredi Enisuouh, was arrested last week in Lagos.
Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson of the EFCC had claimed that Enisuoh was arrested over alleged case of money laundering involving the criminal dissipation of funds in an account held by him, which is the subject of a longstanding investigation.
But the traditional rulers, elders, women and youths, under the aegis of the Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum, in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, faulted the claims by the EFCC, urging the president to call the leadership of the commission to order, adding that the commission “should cease from acts of illegality, but rather respect the rights of individuals and act within the bounds of the law.”
The members of the Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum, in the letter dated January 26, 2023 and signed by Engr. Dr. Akpan O. Essien, Chief Williams Erepatei, Barr. Adeleke S. Olubunmi, Engr. James Ipalibo and Dr. Mrs. Ejiro P. Obohvie, argued that the people of the Niger Delta region are “in total dismay and disappointed by the bold face lies released as press statement by the spoke person of the EFCC, Wilson Uwajeren.”
According to the group, “Uwajeren’s press release is a gambit, to change the narrative and to make the EFCC look like they are acting within the legality of the law, yes very-obvious lies built on quicksand that can’t stand rudimentary scrutiny. Let us for the benefit of the general public wholeheartedly address the brazen lies and concocted narrative raised by the EFCC spokesperson Uwajeren.
“Firstly, Capt. Warredi Inisouh is not under investigation, he is in court with the EFCC. Common sense and best investigative practices behooves that the EFCC must conclude its investigations before making arrest and prosecuting its case against suspects. In this very substantive matter before the court Inisouh is already under administrative and judicial bail respectively from the EFCC and the court.
“This move by Rotimi Oyedepo and the EFCC is sub judice, it is very undesirable, why is Barr. Rotimi Oyedepo and the EFCC trying to prejudice the case?
“Secondly, if Capt. Warredi Inisouh is being prosecuted for work done in NIMASA years ago as alleged by Barr. Rotimi Oyedepo. Why not wait for the outcome of the judicial process? We hope Wilson Uwajeren, Barr. Rotimi Oyedepo and the EFCC as law enforcement agents and agency respectively understand the weight and meaning of the word ‘prosecuted’ as against persecution. Again, a clear case of sub judice, witch hunt and to scandalise Capt. Warredi Inisouh for their sinister motives and intentions,” the group said.
They continued: “Thirdly, as openly acknowledged by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwajeren that “Enisouh in 2018 secured an order of the Court of Appeal to lift the freeze order;” in Uwajeren’s own words we can see that Capt. Warredi Inisouh as a law abiding and model citizen made a recourse to the courts as the only hope of the common man in constituted and democratic societies.
“Fourthly, this is contradictory to the position proclaimed by the same Wilson Uwajeren in the paragraph above. How can Wilson Uwajeren and Barr. Rotimi Oyedepo in their respective capacities as top officials of the EFCC dwell on assumptions in a matter that has already been concluded in favour of Enisouh by the respected Appeal Court?
“Hear Wilson Uwajeren: ‘However, the Court of Appeal did not find in favour of Captain Warredi Enisouh that the funds in issue were not proceeds of unlawful activities.’ The question Uwajeren and Barr. Rotimi Oyedepo must answer is what was the substantive suit before the respected judges of the Appeal Court? Is it to lift the freeze Order or that the alleged funds “were not proceeds of unlawful activities?
“Fifthly, Wilson Uwajeren claims that ‘The commission received intelligence that Enisouh dissipated the funds reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of his unlawful activities within three days in May 2018.’
“He was on the commission’s watch-list until January 19, 2023, when he was taken into custody. A remind notice was duly filed to keep him, pending the conclusion of the investigation.” Again the above raises a lot of questions. How could the commission receive intelligence only now on a case that they were respondents to and which outcome in the Court of Appeal they are also privy to?
“Why re-arrest a man on trumped up charges and deny him of his basic rights on a matter that judgement has been passed on since 2018? Why would a remind notice be retroactively filed and illegally applied to keep Capt. Inisouh behind bars on the same matter that a superior court already ruled on? Why would Capt. Warredi Inisouh still be on the commission’s watch list until January 19, 2023, on a matter that he has gotten favorable judgment over four years ago?
“Sixthly, at no time did Capt. Warredi Inisouh return $100,000 to the account as claimed by the EFCC spokesperson. This is a lie from the pit of hell.
“Matter of fact, Barr Rotimi Oyedepo demanded for same amount claiming he is under pressure from the NFIU guys, and when he was declined he became dodgy with the bail of Enisouh, after much back and forth he was obliged under the condition that he provides a bank account which he also declined sensing the implications.
“We do not believe that the EFCC is a critical stakeholder in this fight against oil thieves and the destroyers of our environment as evinced by their arrest of Capt. Warredi Inisouh on trumped up charges. We believe certain elements in the EFCC are in cahoots with oil thieves or else how do you explain the timely arrest and detention of Inisouh as he was about wrapping up investigations on the same vessel suspected of stealing crude the Nigerian Navy is embroiled in? How and why is Barr. Rotimi Oyedepo interested in the sources of Capt. Warredi Inisouh intelligence gathering?
“We call on the DSS, to investigate the employment of Barr. Rotimi Oyedepo’s wife with the Nigerian Maritime Security Agency (NIMASA) and to impound Rotimi Oyedepo’s phones, trace and investigate all calls and messages this last six months to and from. We thank the Presidency, the Management of NNPCL, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS) for their continued and unconditional support to see that we eradicate this scourge and criminal activities of pipeline vandalisation and oil theft.
“We also thank Nigerians, the print and electronic media for their unreserved support, Nigeria belongs to us all, we can get this job done and reposition our country, there should be no sacred cows in this fight against those who plunder and pillage our national assets and resources and destroy the environment. Going forward we won’t be deterred by threats and intimidation, we will name names and syndicates, we are not naive as we acknowledge the perils involved, we are up to the task, we are more than able and motivated to carry out this great national assignment, our environment, lives and ways of living are at stake.”
