Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen, has pushed back forcefully against allegations linking him to fraud, bank robbery and criminal investigations in the United States, describing the claims as a calculated political offensive designed to destroy his credibility.
In a detailed response dated July 10 and addressed to the African Achievers Awards Organisation in London, the Edo South senator rejected reports portraying him as an FBI fugitive, a suspect in a $25 million fraud case and a former bank robbery mastermind, insisting that none of the allegations is backed by any official record.
Imasuen said no court or law enforcement agency in the United States has ever declared him wanted or issued an arrest warrant against him.
“I have never been declared a fugitive by any court or law enforcement agency in the United States or elsewhere,” he stated, adding that he continues to travel freely between Nigeria and the United States without restriction.
The senator dismissed claims that the Federal Bureau of Investigation linked him to a multimillion-dollar fraud, arguing that no indictment, criminal complaint or investigative document has ever identified him as a suspect.
He also described allegations that he masterminded a bank robbery before returning to Nigeria to pursue politics as “entirely fictitious” and “absurd.”
According to Imasuen, his opponents went as far as circulating the photograph of another individual in handcuffs and falsely presenting it as evidence of his arrest by the FBI in a bid to mislead the public and tarnish his image.
To reinforce his position, the lawmaker disclosed that he owns a residence in Laurelton, Queens, New York, where he previously lived and worked before retirement. He said he still receives retirement pension and Social Security benefits in the United States and travels there regularly, including for annual medical check-ups, insisting that these facts contradict claims that he has been barred from entering the country.
Addressing questions surrounding his legal career, Imasuen acknowledged that disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him while he was practising law in the United States. However, he stressed that the matter was regulatory rather than criminal and did not involve fraud, theft, embezzlement or any offence involving dishonesty.
He explained that he was in Nigeria for his brother’s funeral when the proceedings took place and opted not to challenge the outcome because he had already resolved to pursue an international appointment with the European Union. According to him, political opponents have deliberately distorted those events to create a false narrative of criminal wrongdoing.
Imasuen disclosed that he has instructed legal counsel in New York to commence the process of restoring his licence to practise law, expressing confidence that the facts would ultimately clear his name.
The senator also suggested that the allegations gained traction shortly after his committee handled disciplinary proceedings involving a serving senator, hinting that the timing pointed to a coordinated attempt to weaken both his office and his personal reputation.
Maintaining that he has never been convicted of any criminal offence in the United States or elsewhere, Imasuen urged Nigerians to rely on verified judicial records rather than what he described as politically motivated online campaigns.
He called on the public to separate facts from misinformation, insisting that allegations should be judged by evidence, not by viral social media narratives.
Senator Neda Imasuem
