Adefowora Abiodun, one of the alleged promoters of the CBEX investment scheme, who voluntarily surrendered to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in April following a ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja is still languishing in the net of the anti-corruption agency.
Concerned Nigerians who have been following the matter, have therefore urged the EFCC to release him unconditionally, since he honoured their invitation without being arrested.
The court had approved the EFCC’s request to arrest and detain six individuals connected to the scheme, including Abiodun.
Alongside Abiodun, five other individuals: Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo, and Chukwuebuka Ehirim were declared wanted by the EFCC for their involvement in the alleged fraudulent investment scheme, which was valued at over $1 billion.
The EFCC’s legal counsel, Fadila Yusuf, had submitted evidence that led to their public declaration as wanted individuals.
After the announcement, Abiodun, who was shocked by declaration, alongside his legal team, presented himself to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, expressing his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
His legal counsel, Babatunde Busari, explained that Abiodun’s decision to submit voluntarily was made in order to clear his name and address the media narratives circulating about the case.
Despite the return of investor funds and CBEX’s assurance that withdrawals would be allowed by June 25, Abiodun has been in detention for over a month, triggering speculation about EFCC’s high-handedness and rights abuse.
His legal team is now advocating for his release on administrative bail, emphasizing that the ongoing detention is unwarranted under the circumstances, since he submittedhimself for investigation.
According to one of the family sources, “Keeping him in cell for over one month would send a negative signal to other Nigerians who would be declared wanted by EFCC in future. It would discourage Nigerians who have clear cases to surrender themselves voluntarily to security agencies if at the end of the day they don’t give them the mutual respect for surrendering themselves.”
He added that CBEX is not a ponzi scheme.
Reacting to the agitation by concerned Nigerians, EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewole hinted that the agency obtained a remand order to keep him beyond 48-hours.
According to him, “Anybody that we are holding beyond 48-hours, be rest assured that we have a lawful remand order from the magistrate court to hold him beyond 48-hours.
“We are a law-abiding commission. Concerning that suspect, we are holding him on the basis of that remand order.”
