Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imasuen, has mounted a robust defence against allegations linking him to bank fraud, FBI investigations and criminal misconduct in the United States, insisting that the claims are false, politically motivated and unsupported by any criminal conviction or arrest warrant.
In a detailed letter 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 participant in a $25 million mortgage fraud scheme and a former bank robbery mastermind, arguing that the allegations represent a coordinated attempt to damage his reputation and undermine his position as chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee.
“I have never been declared a fugitive by any court or law enforcement agency in the United States or elsewhere,” Imasuen stated, maintaining that he continues to travel freely between Nigeria and the United States without restriction.
The senator’s response follows months of intense public scrutiny after media reports highlighted his 2010 disbarment from legal practice in New York and cited U.S. court documents in connection with an American mortgage fraud investigation. While some reports alleged that federal investigators identified him as an unindicted co-conspirator in a mortgage fraud scheme involving more than $25 million in fraudulent loans, Imasuen insists he was never charged with any criminal offence, indicted by a grand jury or declared wanted by any law enforcement agency.
Responding point by point, Imasuen denied ever being arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation or facing criminal prosecution in the United States.
He dismissed reports claiming he masterminded a bank robbery before returning to Nigeria as “entirely fictitious” and “absurd,” adding that no official court record supports such allegations.
The senator further alleged that political opponents circulated the photograph of another individual in handcuffs and falsely identified the person as him in an effort to deceive the public.
According to him, no indictment, criminal complaint or FBI document has named him as a defendant or criminal suspect.
Seeking to counter claims that he fled the United States or is unable to return, Imasuen said he owns a residence in Laurelton, Queens, New York, where he previously lived and practised law.
He disclosed that he continues to receive retirement pension and Social Security benefits in the United States and regularly visits the country, including for annual medical examinations.
According to the senator, these facts demonstrate that he has never been barred from entering the United States.
Disbarment Acknowledged
Imasuen acknowledged that he was disbarred from legal practice in New York but argued that the disciplinary proceedings have been widely misrepresented.
Public records show that the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, ordered his disbarment in 2010 following disciplinary proceedings relating to his handling of a client’s legal matter and his failure to cooperate with disciplinary authorities. Those records form the basis of subsequent media reports concerning his professional conduct in the United States.
However, Imasuen maintains that the proceedings were regulatory rather than criminal and did not involve convictions for fraud, theft, embezzlement or any other offence involving dishonesty.
He explained that he was in Nigeria attending his brother’s funeral when parts of the disciplinary process unfolded and said he chose not to contest the outcome because he had already decided to pursue international development work, including projects involving the European Union.
He further claimed that political opponents have deliberately conflated the disciplinary proceedings with criminal allegations to create what he described as a false narrative.
The senator also disclosed that he has instructed lawyers in New York to begin the process of seeking reinstatement of his legal licence.
The controversy intensified after investigative reports alleged that Imasuen featured in U.S. federal court documents connected to a mortgage fraud conspiracy involving more than $25 million in fraudulent loans issued by multiple financial institutions.
Those reports cited sentencing documents from the prosecution of another individual in the United States, alleging that a federal judge referred to Imasuen as an unindicted co-conspirator who facilitated certain transactions. The reports also alleged that he left the United States while investigations were ongoing.
Imasuen has categorically rejected those characterisations, arguing that being mentioned in court filings is fundamentally different from being charged, indicted or convicted.
He maintains that no criminal court has ever found him guilty of any offence in either the United States or Nigeria.
The senator suggested that renewed attention to his legal history coincided with the activities of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, particularly following the committee’s handling of disciplinary proceedings involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Without naming specific individuals, Imasuen said the timing indicates a coordinated campaign aimed at weakening both his office and his personal credibility.
His committee attracted national attention earlier this year after recommending disciplinary measures against Akpoti-Uduaghan, a decision that generated widespread political debate and litigation.
The Senate has not opened any formal investigation into the allegations against Imasuen.
Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu previously stated that the matter had not come before the chamber and therefore had not been considered officially, adding that the Senate could not deliberate on issues not formally presented before it.
Imasuen urged Nigerians to rely on official judicial records rather than social media campaigns, insisting that allegations should be assessed on the basis of verifiable evidence.
He maintained that he has never been convicted of any criminal offence anywhere in the world and expressed confidence that the complete facts would eventually vindicate him.
The controversy nevertheless continues to generate public debate because it raises questions about public accountability, ethical standards for elected officials and the distinction between professional disciplinary sanctions and criminal liability.
While public records confirm that Imasuen was disbarred in New York in 2010, his assertions that he has never been criminally charged, convicted or declared wanted remain central to his defence. Conversely, reports relying on U.S. court documents continue to argue that his name appeared in connection with a mortgage fraud investigation, although being described as an unindicted co-conspirator is not equivalent to a criminal conviction. The competing narratives are likely to remain subjects of public and political scrutiny.