George Uboh, the head of the George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (GUWN), has disclosed that he was jailed for 101 days after being arrested in 2019.
This apparently happened after Uboh revealed a forex fraud scheme in which Godwin Emefiele, the disgraced former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was allegedly involved.
During a news conference on Monday in Abuja, Uboh said this.
He commended Bola Tinubu, the president, for suspending Emefiele and opening an investigation.
While the media is awash in stories of Emefiele’s corruption after his arrest, Uboh claimed that before his incarceration, no Nigerian dared to criticize the All-Powerful Emefiele.
Through letters sent to Emefiele on or around April 1, 2019, the George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (hereafter referred to as GUWN) revealed Emefiele’s corruption in relation to a more than US$3 billion FX fraud.
“I was detained in my Maitama office on May 15, 2019, the day Emefiele came before the Senate for screening and clearance for his second tenure. I spent 101 days in jail for disparaging Emefiele’s repulsive character. Ishaq Bello, the then-chief judge of the FCT, declined to consider my bail request. After I complied with the administrative bail conditions set by his staff at Force CID, DIG Mike Ogbizi verbally refused to release me on bond.
“We respectfully request that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR direct law enforcement authorities to collaborate with informants to swiftly solve crimes, track down, and retrieve staggering amounts of money that have been stolen or trapped.
Implement and strengthen the whistleblower policy started by his predecessor, with an office (not based in any ministry to avoid conflicts of interest), to be directed by someone who is capable and driven to uphold all whistleblowing principles.
Uboh proposed that the whistleblower policy be put into place, strengthened, and an independent office set up to protect and reward whistleblowers.
He also stressed the significance of selecting a leader for the office who has previous expertise protecting whistleblowers from any unfavorable treatment.
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