The chief protocol officer of the minister of state for defence, Mr Desmond Nunugwo has died in the custody of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
According to the report, the widow of the late civil servant, Susanne Nunugwo raised the alarm about the death of her husband in EFCC’s net.

“Around 3pm on June 9, my husband had gone to pick up our son from school and they both returned home. He later went out. Around 6pm, I called his line and it rang once. I tried his number several times later, but it was off.

The next morning, I got apprehensive when he didn’t come home. However, around 3.48pm, someone called me with his phone and said my husband was in the EFCC’s custody and I should come to bail him,” She told Punch.

She added; “The EFCC called me to their office to come and bail my husband while he was already at the mortuary.

“I later received a phone call from a former colleague of mine that he had read the news online that my husband was arrested for fraud and he had died.”

The widow said she was informed that her husband’s arrest was sequel to a petition written by one Uloma, his business associate.

“She (Uloma) told the EFCC that she met my husband on a flight in 2012 when he was on his way to the US where I went to give birth. She said my husband introduced her to a third party with whom she did a N91m transaction.”

But EFCC have accused the late Desmond allegedly fraudulently obtained N91m from an acquaintance after he tricked her into believing that he had high net worth business associates in Dubai.

“After the transfer of the funds, he became evasive forcing the complainant to report to the EFCC. Consequently, he was arrested in Utako, Abuja, at about 5.33pm on Thursday, June 9, 2016.

He admitted to receiving the money from the complainant, with the additional information that he transferred N30m of the said money to Norway. But he could not explain the whereabouts of the balance of N61m.

“The suspect was detained at about 7.30pm, in the absence of anybody to take him on bail. Six hours later, he suddenly complained of discomfort and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.”