A social media comedian and content creator, Oliver Nwagbo, aka Pankeeroy, has said that more than a month after he was arrested in an apartment by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the commission had yet to file charges against him.
At a press conference during the week, the comedian confirmed that he was arrested and detained by the EFCC for three days on an allegation of Internet fraud. He however noted that he had not been found guilty of any crime, neither had charges been filed against him.
He told Saturday Beats, “I was arrested around 1am on April 21 at James Court, Lekki, by the EFCC, alongside 34 other persons.
“After the third day, I was released on bail with the other individuals that were arrested. However, there has been no charge against me. There is an ongoing investigation. The things on the Internet are just speculations. I had actually gone to James Court for an intending shoot for a skit. I was asleep when the serviced apartment was raided by the EFCC in the middle of the night. My three-day experience in EFCC custody is an experience I would never forget. It all still feels like a dream to me. The experience was traumatising but I am back.
Pankeeroy’s lawyer, Oghale Enuku, who is also the legal representative of Tasanda Media, added, “He (Pankeeroy) was a victim of circumstance. None of the items such as the cars and bitcoin accounts, recovered from the scene were taken from him. Things just got blown out of proportion because he has a known face.”
On his part, the comedian’s manager, Daniel Idehen, also of Tasanda Media, stated that the incident was affecting the former’s brand. He said, “He represents quite a number of brands and they are all waiting to know the reason for his arrest and what charges are being preferred against him. However, we are aware that the delay in filing charges is because of the ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria. The (detention) experience has redefined the person that went in. It is not the same person that came out. However, the most important thing is to get his name cleared first.”
Copyright PUNCH.
