WEDNESDAY March 5, 2025 |TheNewsDESK
www.thenewsdesk.ng
Former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Uwemedimo Nwoko, has dismissed reports that the immediate past governor of the state, Udom Emmanuel, was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Vanguard reports.
Speaking in Uyo on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, Nwoko refuted claims circulating on social media that Emmanuel was held overnight after honoring the EFCC’s invitation on Tuesday over allegations of money laundering and diversion of funds brought against him by the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT).
He clarified that after being questioned, Emmanuel left the EFCC premises the same day, expressing surprise at misleading media reports suggesting otherwise.
“Let them go to his house and see if he’s not there. I was with him at the EFCC. He was invited, he honored the invitation, went through the procedure, and afterward, we all returned home,” Nwoko stated.
He also debunked reports linking Emmanuel to a ₦700 billion fraud allegation, emphasizing that the issue was never mentioned during the EFCC session.
Similarly, Barr. Stephen Abia, media aide to the former governor, condemned what he described as a deliberate media misrepresentation aimed at tarnishing Emmanuel’s reputation.
“An invitation is not a conviction,” Abia stressed. “Yesterday, in a routine exercise, Mr. Udom Emmanuel honored the EFCC’s invitation and left for his home the same evening. He was never detained, contrary to false reports.”
He further urged the media to refrain from sensationalizing the matter, describing Emmanuel as a statesman of integrity and transparency who remains open to lawful engagements.
