Alleged N6bn Fraud: How PDP’s Ighodalo Prevented Us From Arresting Suspect in Edo, EFCC Alleges
- The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has made serious allegations against the PDP governorship candidate in the 2024 Edo election, Asue Ighodalo
- EFCC alleged that Ighodalo prevented the anti-graft officers from carrying out their constitutional duty
- EFCC said Ighodalo wanted to aid the escape of Jonathan Okunbor, who is connected to a case of misappropriation of N6 billion fraud
TheTalk.NG journalist Adekunle Dada has over 7 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international events
Benin City, Edo state – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Edo state governorship candidate in the 2024 election, of preventing its operatives from arresting a suspect, Jonathan Okunbor,
The EFCC said Okubor is being investigated for an alleged N6 billion fraud.
EFCC assured that Ogunbor will be brought to book
Photo credit: Asue Ighodalo/@officialEFCCSource: UGC
According to the EFCC, Okubor is a prime suspect connected to a case of misappropriation of funds involving all the 18 local government areas of Edo state.
The EFCC Head of Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement issued via the Commission’s X handle (formerly known as Twitter) @officialEFCC, January 15, 2025.
The anti-graft agency said Okunbor is not a witness of the PDP in the election tribunal as claimed by Ighodalo.
EFCC explained that investigations showed that Okubor diverted about N6 billion to Kezmith Global Ventures.
The suspect was alleged to be running the ventures using the name and identity of Godfrey Emode.
The anti-graft investigators arrested Emode who led them to Okubor in Eterno Hotel where a pre-trial meeting was being held.
“Investigators interrogated the counsel to Ighodalo on the status of Ogunbor in the election tribunal matters and he clearly stated that he was not a witness in the matter.
“In spite of this, Mr. Ighodalo and his co-travellers at Eterno Hotel prevented EFCC officers from carrying out their constitutional duty and obstructed them from arresting Ogunbor. Specifically, Ighodalo insisted that Ogunbor was his witness when it was obvious that he only wanted to aid his escape from the Commission’s investigators.”
The EFCC insisted that it has no business with any Edo State election witness that has no corruption charge before it.
It further stated that EFCC will not hesitate to bring anyone to trial, witness or no witness if it has a basis for doing so.
He assured Nigerians that Ogunbor will be brought to book soon in connection with the alleged N6 billion fraud involving his firm, Kezmith Global Ventures.
TheTalk.NG earlier reported that the Edo state governorship election tribunal sitting was disrupted on Wednesday morning, January 15, as a result of gunshots near the venue of the hearing.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led, three-member was disrupted as lawyers, litigants, politicians, and reporters scrambled for safety.
The swift arrival of fully armed security operatives saved the day, and the sitting of the Tribunal continued.
EFCC arrests 5 Katsina internal revenue officials
Meanwhile, TheTalk.NG reported that EFCC operatives arrested five officials of the Katsina State Board of Internal Revenue.
The five Internal Revenue officials were accused of diverting N1.3 billion belonging to the Katsina state government.
The anti-graft agency disclosed that the suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations
Source: TheTalk.NG
