EFCC investigates ex-Enugu gov, Chime, 3 others

Ibrahim Magu

EX-GOVERNOR Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and three other principal officers were last week arrested and released by the Economic and Finance Crime Commission (EFCC) over N450,000,000 Presidential campaign fund of 2015, the Southeast Zonal Head of the anti-graft agency, Johnson Babalola, has said.

Briefing newsmen in Enugu, on Wednesday, Babalola said that former governor Chime and the three others were still under investigation concerning the over N400 million campaign funds, pointing out that two serving commissioners were invited recently and detained by the commission.

Babalola said that fight against corruption, which was the main obsession of the Federal Government, was yielding dividend in the South East, as the EFCC had recovered over N244,574,587.20 from those that looted government treasury and other sources.

The Commission also recovered $130,750 USD from assets forfeited by the looters, which sum had been paid into government coffers.

Also recovered included $955,465 USD; €10,000 Euro as well as 3,588 Chinese RMB.

On the achievements of the Commission so far, the EFCC Zonal Head said that apart from the money recovered, EFCC was on the trails of serving and former governors in the zone with the aim of bringing them to book.

Babalola, who said that the cases involving the governors were under intense investigation, had this to say: “The zone is equally closing in on some politically exposed persons in cases involving former governors and companies linked to serving governors.”

Fielding questions from journalists, the Zonal Head said that he had not received any corruption case against Senator Theodore Orji, former governor of Abia State and challenged anybody that has a case against him to petition the Commission for investigation.

“I don’t have petitions against him, Senator Theodore Orji,”, he added.

He disclosed that the Commission had received in recent time, five hundred and twenty two cases out of which thirty six have been concluded and charged to various courts in the zone for prosecution while it has secured (14) convictions.