Alleged fraud: Mompha calls EFCC ‘bitter agency’ for declaring him wanted
Ismaila Mustapha, the socialite better known as Mompha, has called out the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for declaring him wanted.
On Wednesday, the EFCC had declared the Instagram celebrity wanted in the case of alleged fraud and money laundering involving him.
The anti-graft agency also called on the public for information about his whereabouts.
But in a statement via his Instagram page on Thursday, Mompha accused the EFCC of blackmail and intimidation.
The statement reads: “After my arrest and arraignment on the first case at the federal high court Lagos, on the 10th of December 2021, the court gave me judgment and ordered EFCC to release my wrist watches and other valuables in their custody to me for been unlawfully seized.
WANTED BY THE EFCC: ISMAILA MUSTAPHA
Anyone with useful information as to his whereabout should contact the EFCC or the nearest police station.#SayNoToCorruption#TowardsABetterNigeria pic.twitter.com/uWiyNXfTZK
— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) August 3, 2022
“Being a bitter agency, the EFCC in dissatisfaction with the judgment of the court on the release of my wristwatches came up with another trumped up charges against me.
“On the 10th of January 2022 while I was at there office at Okotie Eboh to retrieve my wristwatches in compliance with the judgment of the court and immediately after collecting my wristwatches, they held me down at their office and charged me to court the following day on the frivolous charges.
“I was arraigned before a familiar Judge to the EFCC and in effect I was given a very difficult bail to meet as a result of which I ended up spending over two months in prison custody while making efforts to meet the difficult bail. After several attempts to meet the bail conditions failed, I successfully applied for the bail conditions to be reduced which eventually led to my release.
“Upon my release I traveled outside Nigeria to check on the welfare and wellbeing of my family and returned to Nigeria shortly only for the EFCC Corrupt lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo rather than focus on the establishing his criminal case against me along with the EFCC operative Kaina Garba, chose to capitalize on the fact that I travelled to blackmail me into entering plea bargain with EFCC else he would inform the Judge I travelled and ensure my bail is revoked therefore making me have no choice than to dance to his tune.
“I initially refused but after so much blackmail and intimidation by Rotimi Oyedepo, I succumbed and was told to pay N142 million naira to EFCC as compensation and also sign for a one year imprisonment sentence which I was uncomfortable with and they thereafter reduced it to N40 million naira and one year imprisonment.
“When it became obvious to EFCC that I wasn’t going to sign the plea bargain and play to their game, they informed the Judge I travelled and the Judge without any concrete evidence and disregard.”
