Senator Hope Uzodinma was recently arrested by operatives of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel For Recovery of Public Property
- The APC governorship candidate in Imo was arrested for an alleged failure of his company to execute a contract of $12million
- He was however released on Monday, November 12 and an explanation has been given for his release
The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property (SPIPRPP) on Monday, November 12, announced that it granted administrative bail to the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, after he developed high blood pressure in detention.
Chairman of the SPIPRPP, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, who confirmed Senator Uzodinma’s temporary release on bail, said the lawmaker pleaded to be allowed to return back for questioning on Tuesday, November 13.
Obono-Obla told Vanguard that the embattled APC gubernatorial flag-bearer, who was accused of complicity in $12million contract fraud, was released from detention on Sunday, November 11.
“We don’t want him to die so we have granted him an extension till tomorrow (Tuesday) to report to us,” Obono-Obla said, adding that the initial agreement was for the accused lawmaker to report back around 10am on Monday for further grilling.
READ ALSO: N650m fraud: Court refuses to transfer former minister’s case
He continued: “We granted him bail to report back today and this morning he was supposed to return by 10am but he requested for us to adjourn the matter till tomorrow that his blood pressure went up.
“We don’t want him to die so we have granted him an extension till tomorrow (Tuesday) to report to us. We will wait for him, if he doesn’t come as we agreed before we granted him bail, then we will know what to do.”
Responding to Senator Uzodinma’s claim that he was never arrested by SPIPRPP operatives upon his arrival in Abuja from Lagos, Obono-Obla said: “Well you know that no one will say that his mother’s soup is not sweet. The man was arrested. If not why is he begging for extension till tomorrow (Tuesday)?
“He was arrested yesterday at the airport about 8:30pm by our operatives and he was kept there till about 12midnight before he pleaded that he should be allowed to go and we conceded because we don’t have detention facility.
“We don’t detain people as a matter of policy in our panel. But we asked him to report back by 10am today. When we did not see him by that time, we went to his house and laid siege there. It was then he started pleaded that he was not feeling well and that he will report to us tomorrow.
“So we granted him that respect. If he fails to report tomorrow then we will take it up. We have already filed charges against him for refusing to declare his assets.this matter has been lingering for the past two years.
“He has tried to play some politics but we are not politicians and we have nothing to do with the politics of Imo state. But this matter has been lingering since 2017 that we started looking for him. He refused to answer our invitation.
“We sent about two invitations to the Clerk of the National Assembly but he did not come. So we went to his house and pasted our assets declaration form. That is the first step in our investigation. He refused to fill that form within 30 days as prescribed by the law establishing our panel.
“We now charged him before the Federal High Court. That one is pending. So if he said he didn’t arrest him, then it is up to him. But nobody will say that his mother’s soup is not sweet.”
Obono-Obla equally confirmed that Senator Uzodinma is facing investigating for allegedly engaging in economic sabotage owing to failure of his company to execute a contract of $12million the Nigerian Ports Authority awarded to him for the dredging of Calabar channel.
PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday, November 9, pasted Senator Uzodimma’s name as the Imo state governorship candidate of the APC.
Uzodimma's name was pasted at the INEC, office along Port Harcourt road in Owerri, with Akaolisa Cyprain Okechukwu, as his running mate.
NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have updated to serve you better.
Is President Buhari Really Doing Badly As Nigeria's Leader? - Nigeria Street Gist | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
