From Amby Uneze in Owerri, 03.26.2008

Ohakim yesterday denied being arrested or interrogated by the Metropolitan Police in London, accusing the opposition of being the architect of the rumour.
Some newspapers had reported in the last three days that the governor was found to be in possession of over a million pounds in cash and was subsequently arrested and quizzed at the Heathrow Airport, London.
It was also reported that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had intervened in the matter to get more details, while EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) were also reported to have commenced investigations into the issue.
Speaking to THISDAY on phone yesterday, Mr. James McLaughlin, spokesperson of the British High Commission in Nigeria, said there was no truth in the report.
“I can confirm to you that we have done all necessary checks and there was no such incident,” he said.
Also, yesterday, the spokesperson of the EFCC, Mr. Osita Nwajah, said the anti-graft body’s checks with the law enforcement agencies “do not bear out the stories of arrest and interrogation of the said governor, either based on the spurious ‘security’ or other reports of the Commission”.
Osita said, in a statement: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to some reports in the media alleging that law enforcement agencies in London, UK, acting on some ‘security report’ from the Commission, arrested and questioned Imo State governor, Mr. Ikedi Ohakim. They are also reported to have, on the strength of the same ‘security report’, confiscated large sums of money and documents found on the governor, after a search of his apartment.
“The Commission wishes to state that no such ‘security report’ was issued by it on Governor Ohakim and no such ‘report’ was sent to any law enforcement agency within or outside Nigeria, with the intention to arrest or detain Governor Ohakim… The media are advised to always crosscheck their facts before going to press.”
Ohakim, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Steve Osuji, also denied the reports yesterday.
Osuji, in the press statement, said “our attention has been drawn to the rumour making the rounds on the above subject since last week and which some newspapers have published prominently without any confirmation.
“The story was first carried by the Sunday Tribune of March 23, 2008. It rehashed the same story on Tuesday March 25, 2008 adding more fictitious dimensions to it. Others like Daily Champion picked it as well without any substantiation. Despite all the insinuations we decided not to respond to the Tribune story because there was no direct reference to the Imo state government. However, the Abuja-based Leadership newspaper yesterday carried a front page story with a screaming headline thus: ‘Yar’Adua seeks details over Ohakim’s arrest’
“The government of Imo state is therefore compelled to react to this calculated and malicious falsehood as follows.
“That the Governor of Imo state was never arrested, questioned or detained by policemen, fraud and money laundering Special Scotland Yard Squad or any police or security agent at that.
“Checks at the London Metropolitan Police shows [show] no record of any such arrest.
“No security agency in Nigeria has any such record either going by our investigation.
“Indeed, a press release by the EFCC yesterday following incessant telephone calls on this matter, has dismissed their allegation against Governor Ohakim.
“The Imo state government is however, aware that some politicians from Imo state have been going about newspapers in Nigeria trying to plant a story to bring down the administration of Governor Ohakim. After losing at the Tribunal, a design has been hatched to tarnish the image of the Governor and bring disaffection and odium upon him.
“The Imo state Government is also appalled that newspapers like Tribune and Leadership could gobble up a planted story hook, line and sinker without running even an elementary check or reaching the other party.
“One wonders what manner of editors or publishers would carry a front page lead story with banner headlines without making any attempt to check the veracity of it.
“The case of the Leadership newspaper is rather tragic because it went a step further to state that President Yar’Adua had directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to act on the purported arrest.
“But the cold fact however, is that Leadership never spoke to the Presidency and the Presidency never gave such a directive. If this is Leadership’s kind of journalism, we think it is doing more harm to the society than good and must be consigned to where it belongs by all Nigerians.
“Again, we state categorically that Governor Ohakim of Imo state was never arrested in London or anywhere else. And for the avoidance of doubt, we urge Nigerians to carry out their independent checks with the London police, the Presidency, the EFCC, ICPC and anywhere else they might get information on this matter.”
Addressing newsmen in Owerri, the state capital yesterday, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Chuma Nnaji, also described the speculation as a rumour and not a true story, since it was initially speculated by another newspaper.
He accused the opponents of the state government as being involved in the allegation, noting that the opposition follows the governor everywhere he went including to his private toilet, just in order to fabricate rumours against him.
Government activities seemed to slow down yesterday as there was low morale among civil servants.
The weekly briefing which normally holds every Tuesday at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, could not hold as journalists gathered in their usual manner but were disappointed when it was obvious that the Commissioner for Finance, who was to brief them was nowhere to be found.