The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has denied visiting the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, at the Kuje Custodial Facility in Abuja.
Osun Defender gathered that news of the reverred traditional ruler visiting Emefiele twice on Tuesday went viral on social media on Wednesday.
According to the report, the monarch in company of his Queen, Temitope, visited the custodial facility to secure the release of some prison inmates and ‘possibly’ plead for the ex-banker’s release.
Emefiele, the former head of the nation’s apex bank had been facing a running battle with the Federal Government since his suspension by President Bola Tinubu in June. He was granted a 300 million naira bail last week and is yet to meet the conditions for his release.
Reacting to the development in a statement signed by the Director, Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Moses Olafare said the monarch purely visited the custodial facility as part of activities to mark his 8th annual coronation anniversary.
The Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria dismissed reports that he was at the facility to pay a visit to Emefiele but to secure the humanitarian release of five inmates who were unable to pay their fines/bail fees.
The statement said: “The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, kickstarted his annual coronation anniversary with a humanitarian visit to the Kuje Correctional facility in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
“Ooni Ogunwusi who is the Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria was on an official duty in the F.C.T. when he decided to visit inmates at the facility for a programme organized by Hopes Alive Initiative (HAI) under his Chairmanship to motivate those who are often ignored by the society.
“Addressing the gathering of inmates and prison’s officials after being welcomed into the facility by officers of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Ooni Ogunwusi who was flanked by his Queen & Deputy Convener of Hopes Alive Initiative HAI Olori Temitope Enitan-Ogunwusi, explained that the best part of human life is the one spent to serve others particularly the poor and vulnerable individuals.
“Highpoint of the event was when five (5) inmates were freed after fulfilling all requirements including payment of bail/fines through the assistance of the HAI, with a promise to keep an eye on them and also empowering them in the trade they learned while in the Correctional Centre.
“In the same vein, parts of the statement said the Palace is not unaware of false, malicious and misleading reportage particularly by some unprofessional bloggers and armchair journalists about the event which does not tally with the event or any of its realities.
“These purveyors of fake news who are bent on blackmailing top personalities for income (Online traffic), prominence or whatever reasons predetermined by them wrote nonsense from the figment of their imagination and got it circulated by armchair (lazy) journalists with no regard for principles, laws and ethics of the prestigious pen profession,” Ooni Ogunwusi stressed.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
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