Dr George Uboh, Chairman of George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (GUWN), has narrated how he was arrested and detained for 101 days in 2019 after he exposed the Forex scam under Godwin Emefiele, embattled Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He made the revelation at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday.
Uboh commended President Bola Tinubu for suspending Emefiele and ordering probe.
“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 in order to solve crimes swifter, trace and recover mind-boggling funds stolen or trapped; and
“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,” he said.
Uboh suggested the implementation and strengthening of the whistleblower policy, with the establishment of an independent office to safeguard and compensate whistleblowers.
He also highlighted the importance of appointing a person with prior experience in whistleblowing to lead the office and protect whistleblowers from any adverse treatment.