SaharaReporters on Monday reported that Siunoje, a former Personal Assistant on Special Duties to the Governor popularly known as "Mama", was sacked by Okowa for allegedly using his office to defraud members of the public, especially a group of Igbo traders. He reportedly escaped to Canada with his family some years ago and sought asylum.
David Siunoje, a former aide to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, has denied the report of his arrest in Toronto, Canada for alleged sexual assault, sexual harassment, extortion and others.
SaharaReporters on Monday reported that Siunoje, a former Personal Assistant on Special Duties to the Governor popularly known as "Mama", was sacked by Okowa for allegedly using his office to defraud members of the public, especially a group of Igbo traders. He reportedly escaped to Canada with his family some years ago and sought asylum.
However, he was said to have been picked up at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada on his way from Nigeria on April 11, 2023.
An officer at the state police command, who is privy to the incident, disclosed that in the build-up to the 2023 general elections, Siunoje “sexually assaulted and harassed a married woman who had before now given him some form of assistance in life and a young girl who just turned 18 a few months ago”.
However, Siunoje said he was never sacked by Okowa, saying, "I did not used my office to defraud members of the public, especially a group of Igbo traders as being alleged and I never escaped to Canada with my family some years ago and sought asylum. These are mere handiworks of mischief makers."
Siunoje, who reacted through his elder brother, Azuka Siunoje on behalf of the Siunoje family in a statement obtained by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, noted that there was no iota of truth in the whole report.
"We have noted with dismay, the misinformation being sold to the public through the media by some mischievous elements in their bid to injure the name of Chief David Kanebi Siunoje hence, it has become imperative that we state facts as follows, just for the records:
"As erroneously posited, Chief David Siunoje did not become a resident of Canada through Asylum application. Since becoming a resident in Canada, he has severally visited Nigeria through the Nigerian borders and has had no issues with the Canadian immigration with regards to his status. There is no case of sexual molestation or harassment of an eighteen-year-old girl wherein the mother embarrassed Chief David in a party as was alleged. The incident exists only in the hallucinatory realm of the originators of the said story. That Chief David was never sacked by HE Dr Ifeanyi Okowa neither did he defraud any Igbo trader(s) as alleged by the perpetrators of this propaganda.
"Chief Siunoje served HE Dr. Okowa meritoriously, loyally and was chieftained during his service as recognition of his loyalty. At the time those stories were initially published in the year 2020, those whose names were mentioned as victims were quick to debunk the stories.
“Their refutals were published in the print and electronic media. It is instructive to mention that Chief David quit public office when he discovered that the political space has become polarized by evil minded politicians.
"The issue between Chief David and the Ogbolu family which ordinarily should be a civil matter but for political influences, is already in court, (SUBJUDICE) under judicial considerations and discussing same in public may amount to contempt of court. Surprisingly, different forms of publications have been flooding the internet space and the electronic media with a bid to injure the name of Chief David with frivolous case file numbers being brandied online and quoted to have come from the Brampton Police/Court.
"That the present matter has now become politically motivated as evil politicians have now hijacked same for sake of attempting to settling none existent political scores, judging by the sporadic media postings and the linkage of the whole issue to partisan politics inclinations.”
“At this point it has become necessary to advice the general public and indeed the media practitioners to please discountenance the smear campaign which has become the order of the day as the Canadian authorities are now on this matter and hopefully, the law will take her full place," the statement said.