The Chairman of the George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (GUWN), George Uboh has revealed his arrest and subsequent detention for 101 days in 2019.
According to Uboh, this took place after he exposed a forex scam allegedly involving Godwin Emefiele, the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Uboh disclosed these details during a press conference in Abuja on Monday.
He praised President Bola Tinubu for suspending Emefiele and initiating an investigation.
Uboh stated, “While the media is replete with reports of Emefiele’s corruption post-arrest, pre-arrest, however, no Nigerian dared criticise the Almighty Emefiele. George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (hereinafter GUWN) exposed Emefiele’s corruption regarding forex fraud of over US$3 billion via letters written to Emefiele on or about April 1, 2019.
“On May 15, 2019, the day Emefiele appeared before the Senate for screening and clearance for his second tenure, I was arrested in my Maitama office. I was detained for 101 days for defamation of Emefiele’s rotten character. The then Chief Judge, FCT, Ishaq Bello refused to hear my bail application. DIG Mike Ogbizi verbally denied me bail after I fulfilled the administrative bail granted to me by his men at Force CID.
“We humbly request that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR direct law enforcement agencies to work with whistleblowers to solve crimes swifter, trace and recover mind-boggling funds stolen or trapped.
“Implement and strengthen the whistleblower policy initiated by his predecessor, with an office (not domiciled in any ministry for sake of conflict of interest), to be headed by someone who has the capacity and passion to imbibe all the tenets of whistleblowing.”
In addition, he recommended the establishment and fortification of the whistleblower policy. Uboh proposed an independent office, not within any existing ministry, to avoid conflict of interest.
This office, Uboh advised, should be headed by someone experienced and passionate about whistleblowing and its tenets, to ensure whistleblower protection and compensation.
