Detained spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Oisah Metuh has refused to eat over fears that he may be poisoned.
Metuh’s family said this in a statement on Thursday, adding that he was innocent of any of the crimes he was being accused of by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Metuh was arrested on Tuesday and the commission obtained a court order to detain him further on Thursday pending the conclusion of investigations into his involvement in the alleged misappropriation of $2.1 billion arms funds by former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
In a statement signed by Gilbert Metuh, the family demanded that Mr. Metuh be released immediately or charged to court.
The statement said the PDP spokesman acknowledged he delivered on an assignment for former President Goodluck Jonathan, and was duly paid.
“Our biggest concern for now is the health and safety of our son, who even before his arrest had alerted the nation about various threats to his life, a stance that is not unconnected to his position as the spokesperson of the opposition,” the statement said.
“Our position is more so as he has refused to eat following fears of intentions to poison him in detention,” the statement read in part.
Full statement
The Metuh family – the Obi-Ezeani-Nnewi– has noted with grave concern the continued incarceration of our Diokpa and spokesperson of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Olisa Metuh (Ugochidebelu Nnewi) since his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Whereas the charges for which Chief Metuh is being detained for over 48 hours now have not been formally made known to the family and the general public, we have noted some sensational publications in a section of the media claiming that our son collected the sum of N1.4 billion from the arms deal cash and has been collecting N4 million monthly from the Office of the former National Security Adviser.
We have confronted our son with these allegations and he assured us that they are completely false.
However, he acknowledged that in the course of his duties as the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, the then leader of the party and president of the country directed him to carry out some urgent national assignments relating to his office, which the former president duly funded and which he duly carried out to the satisfaction of the former president.
The family therefore views the publications bandying the figure of N1.4 billion and alleged collection of N4 million stipend from the Office of the NSA as deliberate blackmail aimed at inflaming public sentiments against our son.
Our biggest concern for now is the health and safety of our son, who even before his arrest had alerted the nation about various threats to his life, a stance that is not unconnected to his position as the spokesperson of the opposition.
Our position is more so as he has refused to eat following fears of intentions to poison him in detention.
In view of the above therefore, we DEMAND that the EFCC immediately release our son, Chief Metuh (Ugochidebelu Nnewi) from detention or charge him to court.
