I Was Never Arrested By EFCC Over #ArmsGate – GEJ’s Ex-ADC, Col Adegbe

Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe, former aide-de-camp to President Goodluck Jonathan, has denied news reports that he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Adegbe, who currently studying in the United Kingdom says he only honored an invitation for questioning by the EFCC and his visit to the anti-graft agency’s office had nothing to do with the alleged $2.1 billion arms deal or Colonel Dasuki. He also said that at no time did he threaten to “spill the bean” and that what he knows will make Nigeria “boil”.

Adegbe, through his lawyer, Chief Ogwu Onoka, SAN, demanded an unreserved apology from the management of the Sun Publishing Limited for dragging his hard-earned name to the mud. He denounced newspaper’s headline story that quoted him as saying ‘if he was forced to reveal what transpired under the last administration, Nigeria will boil.’

A statement from Chief Onoka says, “We have read with shock and disbelief the lead story in your newspaper, dated Friday 12th February, 2016, titled: “If I open up, Nigeria will burn. Detained Jonathan’s ex-ADC warns, as EFCC declares Tompolo wanted”

“The EFCC wrote the military authority to invite our client for questioning with respect to an ongoing investigation to clarify certain allegations made against him. The military authority invited him back to Nigeria, which he willingly came in and reported to the office of the provost marshal in Abuja on Wednesday 10th February 2016.

Due to his late arrival and the inability of the Army to complete their documentation, he was asked to report to the Garrison Mess in Mogadishu Cantonment in line with military tradition till the next day. Upon completion of the necessary paper work, he was escorted to the EFCC where he wrote his statement and was interrogated.

“We are also familiar with the statement he wrote at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and are also acquainted with answers he gave to questions, so we are at a complete loss as to how your newspaper arrived at that highly sensational and false story. The lawyers and representative of the Nigerian Army were present throughout the interrogation. There was never a time Col. Adegbe threatened to burn down Nigeria.

“He has demanded a retraction of the said story with the same banner headline and an apology from the Sun Newspaper within 12 hours to avoid legal action.

“In view of your false and malicious statements, we demand a retraction of the false story with the same banner headline and an apology for your fictitious and highly embarrassing report. The retraction and apology must carry and be accorded the same prominence not less than 7 editions of your publication. We also demand that the retraction be syndicated to all your prints and the online media links in the same way and manner you spread the false story.

“We demand this to be effected within 12 hours while we advise our client on the legal implication of this malicious publication,” the statement added.