The Imo State Police Command has cleared the air on the purported abduction of an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, Prof Jachimike Adiele on Saturday, June 11 in Owerri.
The police said he was rather arrested as he alighted from the studios of the Boss 98.9FM for allegedly fleecing a lady of the sum of N1.2million.
The spokesman of the command, CSP Michael Abattam disclosed in a statement dated June 11 that the former Professor of Education at Novena University, Ogume Delta State obtained the money from the lady in March this year on the promise to get her a shop at Ekeukwu Owerri Market.
The market demolished by the Owelle Rochas Okorocha administration in 2017 is undergoing reconstruction.
Newly-constructed shops at the market are at present on sale.
According to Abattam, the police had arrested Prof Adiele on the strength of a report lodged by the said lady against him.
The police spokesman disclosed that the police granted him bail after extracting a promise from the professor to refund the lady her money.
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Abattam said the professor not only jumped bail but has also not refunded the money.
He added that the professor’s surety claimed not to know Prof Adiele’s whereabouts until on Saturday when he got information that he was at Boss Radio co-hosting a programme.
Abattam said policemen from Area Command Owerri laid ambush for him and arrested him as he was driving home upon concluding his programme presentation.
He further disclosed that the professor had been released but will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation.
The statement reads inter Alia; “The facts was that, sometime in the month of March, 2022, a lady reported a case of fraud against Prof. Jachimike Adiele at the Police Area Command Owerri, alleging that, the said professor collected the sum of one million two hundred thousand naira (N1.2m) from her with a promise to give her a shop in Douglas market. But, after some months, she discovered that there was no shop and demanded for her money but could not get it hence, her report.
“On the strength of the complaint, Prof Jachimike Adiele was invited. After his statement, the Area Commander released him on bail due to his status in the society. And he promised refunding the money back to the lady on 1/4/2022, but never did rather, he jumped bail. When all efforts made to reach him proved abortive, the surety was invited and he claimed not know the whereabout of the suspect and pleaded for time to trace him.
“Luck ran against him today 11/6/2022 at about 0940 hours, when the surety got information that, he was in the studio presenting a programme and alerted the police. On arrival, the police were professional, they never went to the station rather, they waited until he concluded his programme presentation and was heading home when he was arrested to the station. He has since been released and on conclusion of investigation, he will be charged to court”.
Prof Adiele had told our correspondent on Saturday shortly after his release that armed me came after him over the facts he marshalled during the radio programme.
