Bloggers lied about my EFCC arrest ― Comedian Pankeeroy

Recently, the news went viral that Instagram comedian and social media Influencer, Nwagbo Oliver Chidera, popularly known as Pankeeroy was arrested for internet fraud.

The reports credited to many media outlets claimed that items seized from the comedian included a Mercedes Benz car worth N36M and N22,300,000 worth of Bitcoin in his account. The reports also claimed that the comedian went into Bitcoin scam after suffering depression using a particular website to defraud his unsuspecting victims.

However, at a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, the comedian, in the company of his manager and lawyer, debunked all reports as false, stating emphatically that nothing was neither found on him nor recovered from his account or his person.

According to his lawyer, the arrest was a routine raid and not an arrest effort targeted at the comedian as 34 others were also rounded up in the raid at James Court in Lekki part of Lagos on April 21, 2021.

He said, “ What happened was a raid by EFCC. About 35 people were arrested. You cannot even say there was an arrest because no warrant of arrest was presented. It was not as if a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was just arrested in the midst of other people, possibly on a tip-off. He was just unfortunate to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The comedian revealed that he was at the Anti-graft Agency’s custody for 3 days in which no charge was preferred against him.

The lawyer interceded again, “It was just a coincidence he was at that place at that time. Everyone arrested was granted bail upon which investigation goes on. We are to appear at the EFCC office once every two weeks. As of now, there is no charge. We cannot categorically say what he was arrested for because it has not been made clear at this moment.”

The manager added that some sections of the media only sensationalized the news as a result of his status being arrested in the midst of other not-so-popular people.

He said, “ They were all false. None of the items splashed in the reports was recovered from him. Even as the investigation is still on EFCC has not put out any recovered item from him. It was the blogs that actually speculated it. We are having this briefing to let people know the truth about his arrest and all the falsehood being peddled in the media.”