The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is on its way to seize properties worth millions of naira belonging to Senator Godswill Akpabio. Akpabio has been on the radar of the anti-graft agency for allegedly embezzling N108bn during his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom between 2007 and 2015.
The Punch reports that the EFCC is intensifying investigation against the Senate minority leader and has also written to five banks demanding information on Akwa Ibom State finances under Akpabio’s administration. Also the anti-graft agency is planning to invite key members of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and serving commissioners as many of them earlier served during Akpabio’s administration.
An EFCC source said: “We have written to Zenith Bank, Keystone Bank, FCMB, Skye Bank, and UBA demanding information on the state’s accounts. We are also inviting the accountant-general, the auditor-general, the Speaker and the clerk of the House of Assembly. We have traced some houses to the former governor in Lagos and Abuja and it is just a matter of time before we seize them.” There is allegation that in 2013, during a party reconciliation session of the Peoples Democratic in Port Harcourt, Akpabio gave N1m each to six chairmen from the South-South and asked them to use the money to “buy Mr Biggs.” It will be recalled that two weeks ago, a state High Court in Akwa Ibom gave an interim injunction restraining the EFCC from investigating the financial management of the state. The suit was filed by Uwemedimo Nwoko who is the attorney general on behalf of Akwa Ibom.
The presiding judge of the State High Court, Ikot Ekpene, Justice NFN Ntong ruled that the EFCC, ICPC and the police should not arrest, detain, or investigate “any person or persons whether past or present official in the Akwa Ibom state government without any report of indictment by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, pending the hearing and the determination of the Motion on Notice filed in this suit in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order”.
Mr Nwoko argued that EFCC is just an agency of the federal government and isn’t empowered by the Nigerian Constitution to investigate the finances of the state and that Akwa Ibom is a federating unit in the Nigerian federation. He said: “It’s not about whether there’s anything wrong with the accounts of the Akwa Ibom state government! Why should the EFCC look into it? Is the state looking into the federal government account?
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