I have never been a fugitive, Senator Imasuen tells critics

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen (APC, Edo South), has denied allegations linking him to fraud, bank robbery and criminal investigations in the United States, describing the claims as a politically motivated campaign to damage his reputation.

Imasuen, in a detailed rebuttal dated July 10 and addressed to the African Achievers Awards Organisation in London, dismissed reports portraying him as an FBI fugitive, fraud suspect or former bank robbery mastermind as “false, malicious and politically motivated.”

The senator insisted that no court or law enforcement agency in the United States had ever declared him wanted or issued a warrant for his arrest.

“I have never been declared a fugitive by any court or law enforcement agency in the United States or elsewhere,” he said, adding that he continues to travel freely between Nigeria and the United States.

Imasuen also denied claims that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) linked him to a $25 million fraud, saying no indictment, criminal complaint or official investigative document had identified him as a suspect.

He challenged those behind the allegations to provide evidence, insisting that none existed.

The lawmaker further rejected claims that he was involved in a bank robbery in the United States before returning to Nigeria for politics, describing the allegation as fictitious.

He accused his critics of circulating a photograph of another individual in handcuffs and falsely presenting it as his arrest by the FBI, saying the image and accompanying claims were fabricated to mislead the public and tarnish his image.

Imasuen said he owns a residence in Laurelton, Queens, New York, where he previously lived and worked before retiring. He added that he continues to receive retirement pension and Social Security benefits in the United States and travels there regularly, including for medical check-ups.

On allegations concerning his legal career in the United States, the senator acknowledged that disciplinary proceedings were once initiated against him but maintained that they were regulatory and not criminal in nature.

He said the proceedings did not involve allegations of fraud, theft, embezzlement or any offence relating to dishonesty.

Imasuen explained that he was outside the United States attending his late brother’s funeral in Nigeria when the proceedings took place and chose not to appeal the outcome because he had decided to pursue an international appointment with the European Union.

He said the decision had been misrepresented by political opponents as evidence of criminal conduct.

The senator disclosed that he had instructed legal counsel in New York to commence the process of restoring his licence to practise law, expressing confidence that the move would further clarify the facts surrounding the matter.

Imasuen linked the emergence of the allegations to his role as Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, saying they surfaced after the committee handled disciplinary proceedings involving a serving senator.

He described the development as an attempt to undermine his credibility and the integrity of the committee.

The lawmaker maintained that he had never been convicted of any criminal offence in the United States or elsewhere, urging Nigerians to rely on verified facts and judicial records rather than unsubstantiated claims on social media.

He called for caution in assessing allegations against public officials, stressing that truth should be determined by evidence.

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