Group in diaspora condemns attack on Innoson’s CEO

A group of Igbo in the diaspora, Global Igbo Alliance (GIA) has condemned the attack on the Chief Executive Officer of the Innoson Group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, and his family by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, describing it as illegal and reckless.

GIA insisted that the EFCC should have allowed the case, which was already in court to continue to its logical conclusion.

Founder and chairman of Nigeria’s automobile company, Innoson Motors, Innocent Chukwuma.

A statement jointly signed by the group’s president and secretary, Dr.Christian Duru and Mrs.Chinwe Eboh, decried the arrest of the Innoson boss, saying it amounts to impunity and reckless disregard for the rule of law by the EFCC.

The statement read: “GIA submits that the modus operandi of the EFCC on this occasion as on many others carries the hallmark of impunity and intimidation and abuse of human rights.

“We can’t understand the competitor’s relentless efforts and campaigns of criminalisation of Chief Chukwuma. We are not aware that our competitors are importer of goods, and so, even if Chief Chukwuma or his businesses had, in order to ease the importation of his goods into the country, entered into some arrangements with the bank, probably, as a nominal consignee, that would not justify his persecution by the duo of our competitor and EFCC.

“We understand that with respect to cover charges, the matter has ended in Innoson’s favour at the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State, and the court processes leading to that judgment are public documents. While there is an appeal against the judgment, it remains the position until further notice.

‘’We are therefore, worried and at a loss as to why the EFCC should attack the Anambra-born industrialist without provocation.”

GIA further argued that there was no justification for the attack on Chief Chukwuma and his wife in their home by operatives of the EFCC, adding that his citizenship rights and that of his family had been publicly denied and grossly abused.

“It is conscionable and necessary that this human rights abuse be condemned in its entirety, because it is a dangerous trend that could befall any family if allowed to continue,” the group submitted.