Goodie Ibru not on the run —Family

The family of Mr Goodie M. Ibru has described the recent public notice issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), declaring Mr Ibru wanted on charges of “capital market fraud, money laundering and diversion of funds” as scandalous, misleading and unfortunate. In a statement signed by Akpofure Ibru, on behalf of the family, it said the October12 appeal to members of the  public to furnish them with information on Mr Ibru’s whereabouts,  created the unfortunate impression that he was on the run.

The statement, said the facts  of the matter are at variance with the impression created by the EFCC public notice. “The truth of the matter,” said the statement, “is that the EFCC as recently as July 19, 2016, invited Mr Ibru for an interview on July 25. Mr Ibru replied through the law firm of Babalakin & Co that he would not be able to honour the invitation until his planned return in the first week of November, 2016 as he was in the United Kingdom ,undergoing medical treatment.

The law firm in the said response, stressed that as their client, “is a law abiding citizen who has no interest in foiling the administration of justice, we assure you that he will appear before your commission as soon as he has recovered from his illness and returned to Nigeria.”

The statement said as there was no further word from the EFCC, the understanding was that the promise to keep the November date was a reasonable and acceptable gentleman’s agreement.

“It is, therefore, scandalous to read the EFCC notice of October 12, purporting that Mr Ibru was on the run. It decried what it regarded as creeping bias into an investigation that in the main centres on family misunderstanding and boardroom politics and urged the EFCC to exercise professional restraint in its  service delivery. Indeed, this issue of family dispute was at the heart of EFCC’s decision to file a notice of discontinuance on September 17,2015 to the suit ID/1711C/20 between Federal Republic of Nigeria and Goodie Minabo Ibru and three others.”

The statement reassured the public of Mr  Ibru’s unflagging commitment to the rule of law and urged other parties in the dispute to exhibit the same commitment in their utterances and actions.