By Chidi Obineche
President of Masters Oil and Gas Ltd Mr Uche Ogah, has said he was neither arrested or detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The report of the purported action by the anti-graft agency was carried by some online platforms and newspapers yesterday.
Addressing the Press on Monday, Ogah described the report as “false, wicked and fabricated.” He said, “ I was neither arrested, detained, or under any investigation for any criminal charge whatsoever.
“The EFCC has a process of inviting anyone under investigation, either in writing or by inviting you through other means. That has not been done, as you can see me physically here.”
Setting the records straight, Ogah recalled a business transaction between him and Mrs Bridget Adeogun. He said the woman met him in 2011 through one member of his staff for financial assistance in the procurement of import licence for petrol.
According to him, he insisted on going through legal and other due processes. “The transaction was properly executed. I spent N1.8 billion and made a loss of N10 billion. This transaction took place in 2011. She never argued or refuted anything from that day until when they paid us interest on foreign exchange differentials. She rushed to the DMO to claim the N51million interest. We stopped her at the DMO with an injunction,” he explained.
Ogah said despite the fact that the woman has dragged him to five police stations and the EFCC since then, he had always floored her; a situation he believes is responsible for her frustration.
He revealed that a former Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) hurriedly took the case to court on the eve of his retirement, adding that he wrote to the new IGP two weeks ago demanding that the case be re-investigated, vowing that he will never succumb to the woman’s blackmail.
He also said that he was aware that his political detractors were using her. Ogah said he went through her church to make her see reason has not yielded fruits, vowing that he will continue to play along with his good conscience on the matter.
Tension as kidnappers refuse to release sick victim
By Christopher Oji
Fear has gripped the families of abducted victims of Lagos Model College, Igbonla, Epe, as kidnappers failed to honour their promise to release one of the school children.
One of them has fallen ill after Saturday downpour and the kidnappers had promised to release him if the family would pay N1million.
Militants last Thursday stormed the school during assembly at about 8.00am and abducted the vice principal, a teacher and four students.
The kidnappers had demanded N100million, but later reduced the ransom to N5million each. They threatened to kill their captives by today if the families failed to pay the ransom.
One of the children took ill and the kidnappers promised to release him if the family pays N1million.
As at press time, the kidnappers have been playing pranks with the family of the sick student.
A family source said, “on Monday, we were able to raise the N1million. We called them to tell us where to drop the money and they said it was too late. They instructed that we should come back on Tuesday. Since morning, we have been pleading with them to collect the money and release our sick child, yet they are dribbling us.
“We are scared of the sick child’s life. They did not allow us to speak with the child. We are praying that nothing should happen to him”.
A police source told Daily Sun that the kidnappers have not released the victim. Infact, there is fear among the families of the victims. Since Monday, the kidnappers have been dribbling the family members of the victims over a promise they would release the sick one. At a time, there was a rumour that the sick child had been released, but it was a lie. He is still in captivity.
“The families of the victims are afraid that their children may be killed going by the threat that if they don’t pay the ransom by today. They are not going to kill anybody. The kidnapper need money. They are human beings and they have no problems with the victims,” he concluded.
The Police Commissioner, Mr Fatai Owoseni and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode have assured Lagosians that they were doing their best to rescue the victims.