The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the immediate past Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel, over the alleged diversion of N700 billion from the state government’s coffers during his eight-year tenure.Â
A source informed that the former governor was arrested by operatives of the commission at its corporate headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, following his invitation.
The arrest was as a result of the anti-corruption commission’s investigation into a petition written against the former governor by an anti-graft group, the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), in January.
Tribune Online had, on January 22, reported that NACAT petitioned both the EFCCÂ and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC) against Udom, urging the agencies to investigate his eight-year tenure.
In the petition, dated January 21, 2025, signed by its operational manager, Stanley Ugabe and addressed to the chairmen of the two anti-graft agencies respectively, sighted by Tribune Online in Abuja, NACAT, which described itself as a leading anti-corruption group in Nigeria, alleged that there was “wanton corruption and embezzlement of public funds orchestrated by former governor Udom Emmanuel.”
The group stated it could not turn a blind eye to it, submitting that doing so would be failing in its duties and responsibilities.
In the 28-page petition, NACAT alleged that based on its investigation, a whooping sum of about N700 billion remained unaccounted for during the eight-year tenure of the former governor.
It stated that it had painstakingly investigated and audited many of the financial records of Akwa Ibom State available to it and detailed its findings as part of the petition.
“As a leading anti-corruption group in Nigeria, we will be failing in our duties and responsibilities if we turn a blind eye to the wanton corruption and embezzlement of public funds orchestrated by former governor Udom Emmanuel.
“We have painstakingly investigated and audited many of the financial records of the state available to us and detailed our findings here as part of our petition.
“The diversion of funds and primitive massive acquisition of properties by Udom and his family members has left the residents and indigenes of the state wondering why the EFCC has not invited him for questioning and prosecution,” NACAT stated in the petition, assuring of its readiness “to stand as witness in due course if called upon”.
It alleged that despite the over N3 trillion that accrued to the Akwa Ibom State’s coffers during the tenure of the former governor, while N700 billion could not be accounted for, the former governor “yet left a debt profile of over N500 billion and unpaid ongoing projects worth over N300 billion, with abandoned projects littered over the state”.
While listing some of the ways monies were spent, the group alleged that under a suspicious payment for “operational expenses for Operation Thunder,” the Akwa Ibom government paid out a total of N360,000,000 from the office of the governor, AKSG Zenith Bank account number 1014317094.Â
Also, NACAT drew the attention of the EFCC and the ICPC to investigate 1,521 withdrawals of a total of N1,160,000,000 by a single individual during the tenure of former governor Udom.
While alleging that the former governor mismanaged state funds, the group noted that “if immediate past governors like Ifeanyi Okowa and Yahaya Bello can be invited, probed and facing prosecution, Udom should not be exempted to come and give accounts of our allegations against him.”
However, the EFCC source confirmed that “The former governor is in our custody. He was arrested today.”
EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached to confirm the former governor’s arrest.
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