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 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, the 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 was the subject of its 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 of the EFCC, urging President Buhari to call the leadership of the EFCC to order and 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 26th of January, 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 were disappointed by the position of the EFCC.
According to the group, “Capt. Warredi Inisouh is not under investigation, he is in court with the EFCC, common sense and best investigative practices dictate that the EFCC must conclude its investigations before making arrest and prosecuting its case against suspects. In the substantive matter before the court, Inisouh is already under administrative and judicial bail respectively from the EFCC and the court.
“If Capt. Warredi Inisouh is being prosecuted for work done in NIMASA years ago as alleged by EFCC’s counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, why not wait for the outcome of the judicial process? 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?
“At no time did Capt. Warredi Inisouh return $100,000 to the account as claimed by the EFCC spokesperson. 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.”
“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 naïve 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 as our environment, lives and ways of living are at stake.”
