Prof. Chukwuma Soludo — I was not arrested by EFCC.

Former Governor of the Central Bank (CBN) Professor Chukwuma Soludo has disclosed that he was not arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as was published in some national dailies yesterday. Soludo said he was invited by the EFCC to make clarifications on some issues on a matter under investigation. According to a statement from Soludo’s media office dated 11th January 2013, the former CBN Governor voluntarily went to the EFCC office to honour the Commission’s invitation.

The statement which was signed by Bonaventure Melah said Soludo was neither arrested nor escorted to EFCC office by operatives of the Commission as was reported. “We want to put it on records clearly that the media reports that Professor Chukwuma Soludo was arrested by the operatives of the EFCC in Abuja is totally false or to say the lease written in error. “The fact of the matter is that the EFCC wrote a letter to Prof. Soludo inviting him to their Abuja office on the 10th of January 2013. EFCC’s invitation letter to Prof. Soludo was dated 20th December 2012.

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“Prof. Soludo was abroad attending to several international engagements when the letter was sent to his aides. As a law abiding citizen of the country, Prof. Soludo returned to Nigeria in the New Year and honoured EFCC invitation on January 10th as requested. He voluntarily went from his home to EFCC office on Thursday. He was neither arrested nor escorted by any operative of the Commission. The EFCC letter of invitation to Soludo states that “This Commission is investigating a case in which the need to obtain certain clarifications from you has become imperative.” “It was a two- paragraph letter with also indicated date and time for the meeting between Prof. Soludo and officials of the Commission,’ the statement added.

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The Imo State Finance Commissioner, Deacon Okafor John and Accountant General, Haeche-George, who were arrested over alleged N45 billion loan from Zenith Bank and diversion of local government funds were granted bail.