EFCC Set To Arrest Akwa Ibom, Bank officials

In line with the probe of the former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), there are indications that some top officials of the state government would be arrested for questioning.

The Senate minority leader was said to have been arrested on Friday, October 16, by the EFCC over an alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds when the senator was governor.

But Senator Akpabio denied the reports stressing that he was not arrested by the anti-crime commission.

The alleged mismanagement was contained in a petition forwarded to the commission and President Muhammadu Buhari in June by an Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Leo Ekpenyong.

Also expected to be picked up for questioning by the anti-corruption agency are officials of banks allegedly used for illegal deals by Akpabio, The Nation reports.

Akpabio later returned to the commission on Saturday, October 17, for more questioning.

The Senate minority leader was with the commission until the evening of yesterday.

Some operatives of the commission corroborated what Akpabio had said about the fact that he was not arrested or detained.

However, a source in EFCC said:“Akpabio came back for the continuation of interaction with EFCC team on the allegations against him. We did not detain him on Friday in line with our respect for his fundamental rights.

“Having been served with a copy of the petition, he spent about four hours responding to the allegations in writing. He wrote his statement under caution.

“We asked him a few questions on some grey areas in his statement before he left. The investigation of the case is ongoing.”

A top official of the EFCC also said: “We are going to interrogate some officials of Akwa Ibom State Government and a few banks.

“Some of these officials were named in the petition by a lawyer-activist, Leo Ekpenyong.”

One of those who accompanied Akpabio to EFCC,  Wole Arisekola, said that the ex-governor only went there to write  a statement on Saturday.

According to the top official: “There was a petition against him and as a man of honour he went to the EFCC to respond to the allegations. He was not arrested as being insinuated.

“We hope some former governors, who have petitions against them, will also be courageous enough to defend their actions in office.”