How EFCC Arrested Uche Ogah Yesterday (DETAILS)

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday morning picked up the President of Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Uche Ogah, at the premises of a Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Tinubu, Lagos Island. Ogah was arrested when he stepped out of the courtroom after the forgery charges filed against him by the police were withdrawn.Ogah, who was declared winner of the last governorship election in Abia State by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja on June 27, was arraigned by the police for alleged forgery. But the police on Monday withdrew the charges against him. When the case was called, the police prosecutor, Henry Obiazi, told the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Kikelomo Ayeye, that he had the instruction of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to withdraw the charges against Ogah and his co-defendants. “I am instructed by the IGP to withdraw this case, as the issue is pending with the Special Fraud Unit (SFU),” Obiazi said. The charges were consequently struck out by the court. As soon as Ogah stepped out of the courtroom, he was arrested by some EFCC operatives, led into the commission’s van and taken away. A source at the EFCC said the commission had received a petition from the complainant in the case against Ogah. The source said Ogah was being interrogated, adding that others would also be invited. The other defendants which the police withdrew the charges against were Ogah’s company, Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited and an ex-employee of United Bank for Africa, Deji Somoye. They were accused of conspiring with some persons still at large to forge a Memorandum of Understanding between Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited and Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited sometime in March 2011. Ogah and some other persons still at large were alleged to have forged the signature of one Mrs. Bridget Adeosun. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty after which they were admitted to bail in the sum of N200,000 each with one surety each in like sum. But Ogah’s family last night debunked the report of his arrest and detention by the EFCC. The social media was awash with the report as soon as Ogah was picked up by the egency. A family member, Mr. Joshua Ezebuiro,  in Umuahia said that “there is no iota of truth in the online report.” According to him, “Uche Ogah is right now sitting comfortably in his Lagos office”. He accused Ogah’s political foes of sponsoring the false report, which he added is their wishful thinking.