“EFCC wanted to force me into a plea bargain so I can be convicted for a crime I didn’t commit” – Mompha speaks after he was declared wanted

 

Internet celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, has reacted after he was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Recall that the anti-graft agency, in a statement on Wednesday, August 3, declared the billionaire businessman wanted for alleged money laundering and called on members of the public with useful information on his whereabouts to contact the nearest police station.

 

The EFCC claimed that Mompha failed to appear in court for his money laundering trial.

Reacting, in a post titled “MOMPHA WANTED BY THE EFCC ‘-THE TRUE STORY”, Mompha explained that after his arrest and arraignment on the first case at the federal high court in Lagos, in 2021, the court ordered the EFCC to release his wrist watches and other valuables in their custody. However, the EFCC, in dissatisfaction with the judgment of the court on the release of his wristwatches, came up with another trumped up charges against him.

Mompha accused the EFCC of being corrupt. He added that the agency is a “charade” and he has come to the conclusion that he can’t get justice “within this corrupt-laden system”.

He insisted he had not committed any crime and had only paid money to his co-defendant, Nappy in the normal course of his Bureau de Change business.

In his words,

“MOMPHA WANTED BY THE EFCC’ – THE TRUTH STORY
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. 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.”

Read his full post below,