Kehinde Babalola Ahmed
Former governor of Akwa-Ibom State. Senator Godswill Akpabio has last night denied his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N108.1 billion fraud.
He insisted that he went on his own volition to clear his name on a petition written against him at the anti-graft agency.
InfoTrust gathered that Akpabio was accused of mismanaging the state’s funds, and plunging it into huge debt.
About N18 billion of the said sum was allegedly lavished on special services, reception of very important guests and sundry items.
Another issue the former governor was under probe is the allegedly acquisition of five expensive and choice buildings in Abuja and Lagos
A top source in the EFCC, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have picked up the ex-governor based on some petitions against him. One of the petitioners alleged mismanagement of about N108.1 billion. Others have visited the EFCC to adopt their petitions and show that they are not anonymous.
“Akpabio has been under investigation for some time. At a point, he got intelligence report that we were after him, and he has a peculiar security ring around him.
“But we have got to a convenient bend to arrest him for interrogation on some of the allegations already isolated for him.
“Akpabio is already in custody where our operatives are interacting with him. This is just the first leg of his grilling by the commission.”
Responding to a question, the source said: “The EFCC had interacted with some of the petitioners. Fairness demands that Akpabio should be invited.
In a June 22, 2015 petition to EFCC, an Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Leo Ekpenyong had accused Akpabio of sheer waste in office.
The petition alleged that between January and December 2014, the trio of Godswill Akpabio, an ex-aide of his and another associate made illegal but substantial withdrawals of cash from a designated state government-owned account with Zenith Bank with account number 101037588, amounting to N22.1 billion.
“It is worthy of note that reasons for such ungodly cash withdrawals against financial regulations and due process laws range between sundry use and unjustifiable expenditures by Godswill Akpabio and his numerous surrogates and proxies.
“For example, a whopping N18 billion was withdrawn fraudulently from the state FAAC account with the United Bank for Africa in tranches of N10 million and above by the associate in a surreptitious manner to conceal their dishonest intention.”
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“The cumulative aggregate of the monies stolen by Godswill Akpabio from the coffers of government as pocket money is the annual budget of some states in Nigeria put together.”
Th five choice mansion, InfoTrust learnt have been put under searchlight by EFCC.
The top EFCC source added: “The allegation we have is that these mansions were bought by Akpabio through some fronts.
“This allegation is being looked into. If it is true, we may invoke temporary assets forfeiture clause in the EFCC Act.
“But we have to give Akpabio the benefit of the doubt to react to all these allegations against him. They might be true or false.”
Some of the choice properties, allegedly traced to Akpabio’s fronts and under probe are a mighty building at Ikogosi Spring Close, off Katsina-Ala Crescent, Maitama-Abuja; a mansionette at Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja; a choice property at Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; another mansionette at Olusegun Aina Street, Parkview, Lagos and a 25-storey building on Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
In a swift reaction, Mr. Jackson Udom, the former governor’s media aide in a statement denied the arrest of his principal.
It confirmed that Akpabio went to EFCC voluntarily based on the petition by the Abuja-based lawyer-activist.
Udom said Senator Akpabio went to the EFCC yesterday evening on his own volition, based on some spurious allegation by one Leo Ekpenyong to the EFCC.
He said: “This evening, Senator Akpabio left his Abuja residence to honour an invitation by the EFCC.
“So the issue of being arrested is certainly out of it. Media practitioners should be able to differentiate between an arrest and an invitation so that the reading public would not be misled.”
However, Akpabio was said to have returned to his Abuja residence, affirming that he has nothing to hide about his terms in office as the governor of Akwa Ibom State between 2007 and 2015.
Akpabio through his Twitter handle, @SenAkpabio managed by his social media team stated that he has arrived home some hours after.
The tweets read: “His Excellency, Senator Akpabio is back to the house. We want to reaffirm that he has nothing whatsoever to hide about his term in office in Akwa Ibom.”
Earlier, @SenAkpabio had tweeted: “Senator Akpabio was never arrested. He simply obliged an invitation to come and answer some questions at the EFCC headquarters.
“Senator Akpabio has nothing to hide that’s why he walked into EFCC himself this evening to answer questions about his tenure in Akwa Ibom.
“Those who are playing politics with the decision of Senator Akpabio to honour the EFCC invitation must be acting a known script.
“Senator Akpabio was called from EFCC to come for explanations and he drove there himself 50 minutes later. So, why all the news of arrest?”
