The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriation, Senator Ned Nwoko (PDP, Delta North), has said that he diligently fought his legal case against the City of London Magistrates’ Court to prove that Nigerians are not criminals.
OsunDailyNG reports that on Thursday, the City of London Magistrates’ Court ruled in favour of Nwoko, ordering the release of $1,199,965, which had been frozen in an account belonging to one Keith Davies.
The funds had been transferred by Nwoko to a middleman named Abubakar, who subsequently transferred the money to Davies, a self-acclaimed broker.
The authorities had frozen the funds due to an ownership dispute. However, the court found Nwoko to be the rightful owner of the money.
Addressing newsmen over the weekend in Abuja, Nwoko explained that he fought the case to stop the belief that Nigerians are dishonest people.
He insisted that there are credible, sincere, and God-fearing people in Nigeria, contrary to the negative perceptions abroad.
He also cautioned Nigerians to be careful when investing in certain platforms, emphasizing that, despite the negative stereotypes about Nigerians abroad, there are many who, like him, uphold integrity.
Nwoko stated that he defended himself in court without having to travel to London, as he was permitted to participate remotely from Nigeria. He confirmed that the funds would be released to his legal team within seven days of the ruling.
The Senator expressed his commitment to reinvesting the money into malaria vaccine research, a long-standing aspiration of his. He explained that this investment aligns with his legislative priorities, including advancing a bill to establish an agency dedicated to vaccine research and development in Nigeria.
He said, “As a serving Senator, I am determined to push this bill forward and turn it into law to ensure that Nigeria has a dedicated body for managing and investing in vaccine research.”
