₦airaland Forum

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reacted to a trending video insinuating that one Mr. Jonathan Okunbor, a suspect reportedly being investigated for an alleged N6 billion fraud, was an election witness in Edo state.

In a statement on Wednesday by Dele Oyewale, EFCC’s Head, Media & Publicity, the anti-graft agency clarified that the suspect is not a witness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election tribunal as claimed by the party’s candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo.

“Rather, he (Okunbor) is a prime suspect connected to a case of misappropriation of funds involving all the 18 local government areas of Edo State,” the commission stated.

“Ongoing investigations showed that about N6 billion was diverted to Kezmith Global Ventures owned by Okunbor. The suspect was running the ventures using the name and identity of Mr. Godfrey Emode.

“The Commission’s investigators, in their quest to unearth the shadiness of Ogunbor, arrested Emode who led them to the suspect in Eterno Hotel where a pre-trial meeting was being held.

“Investigators interrogated the counsel to Ighodalo on the status of Okunbor 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 Okunbor.

“Specifically, Ighodalo insisted that Okunbor was his witness when it was obvious that he only wanted to aid his escape from the Commission’s investigators.”

The EFCC says it remains committed to its adherence to the rule of law, noting that the anti-graft agency has no business with any Edo State election witness that has no corruption charge before it.

“The EFCC will not hesitate to bring anyone to trial, witness or no witness, if it has a basis for doing so,” the commission insisted.

EFCC assured that Okunbor will be brought to book soon in connection with the alleged N6 billion fraud involving his firm, Kezmith Global Ventures.

The EFCC is currently investigating the eighteen (18) suspended Local Government Council chairmen in Edo State over alleged financial impropriety.

Okunbor is an official in Orhionmwon, one of the affected councils, and also an ally of the then suspended but now impeached council boss, Newman Ugiagbe.

Tjra:
Money dey this country

1AcrossTheEARTH:
Let's be honest the EFCC has the capacity to see your transaction flow right from the source and where it's being invested or spent.
Its easier for a corrupt politician to escape the efcc than for a camel to go thorough the eye of the needle

Lithiumite:
A camel can't go through the eye of a needle but very easy for a politician to go through efcc if it were a needle.

BleedingPen:
Edo political drama

Latitude5:
Omo this one nah 5 generationmoney o.. people greed and wicked sha
.
Meanwhile at a cheap price dm me for your logo and flyer design

nairalanda1:
Money no dey this country.

6 billion naira is just a paltry 4 million dollars approx. That is money that is meant to be shared among 18 lga's in a state with at least 2 big cities...one of which is one of Nigeria's larger cities. 4million. For one state that is scanty. Even if you want to argue that is part of the overall budget...e still scanty.

Nigeria is a very poor country. One state is supposed to survive on money that would be starvation level for a large European or American hospital or factory. The annoying thing is that PEOPLE still steal from the tiny money, instead of using it to make more money for the state.

I mean, one state gets about 120 bn naira for education...with three or four tertiary institutions that probably need ten times, if not more than that to be world class...yet they fight for scanty money with primary and secondary school...and we will argue that our education sector produces half baked graduates.

We never get good leaders. At all. Not now, not in the past.

nairalanda1:
Money no dey this country.

6 billion naira is just a paltry 4 million dollars approx. That is money that is meant to be shared among 18 lga's in a state with at least 2 big cities...one of which is one of Nigeria's larger cities. 4million. For one state that is scanty. Even if you want to argue that is part of the overall budget...e still scanty.

Nigeria is a very poor country. One state is supposed to survive on money that would be starvation level for a large European or American hospital or factory. The annoying thing is that PEOPLE still steal from the tiny money, instead of using it to make more money for the state.

I mean, one state gets about 120 bn naira for education...with three or four tertiary institutions that probably need ten times, if not more than that to be world class...yet they fight for scanty money with primary and secondary school...and we will argue that our education sector produces half baked graduates.

We never get good leaders. At all. Not now, not in the past.

Chinjo2:
From the way EFCC keeps mentioning Asue Ighodalos be, it shows clearly that they are actually acting a script.
If Asue says Okunbor is one of his star witnesses who is EFCC to say he is not?

Chinjo2:
If EFCC was actually doing its job as it claimed, why go to hotel where Asue Ighodalo witnesses were having a pre trial briefing? Why didn't they go to Okunbors house to arrest him or even arrest him since last week? But they chose to arrest him on the eve of the tribunals sitting. This was the same way the IGP went about arresting PDP party leaders on the eve of the governorship election.

nairalanda1:
Money no dey this country.

6 billion naira is just a paltry 4 million dollars approx. That is money that is meant to be shared among 18 lga's in a state with at least 2 big cities...one of which is one of Nigeria's larger cities. 4million. For one state that is scanty. Even if you want to argue that is part of the overall budget...e still scanty.

Nigeria is a very poor country. One state is supposed to survive on money that would be starvation level for a large European or American hospital or factory. The annoying thing is that PEOPLE still steal from the tiny money, instead of using it to make more money for the state.

I mean, one state gets about 120 bn naira for education...with three or four tertiary institutions that probably need ten times, if not more than that to be world class...yet they fight for scanty money with primary and secondary school...and we will argue that our education sector produces half baked graduates.

We never get good leaders. At all. Not now, not in the past.

rhinolove:
Why the hotel it would have been in his house. Why go to where there are pdp members waiting for a court trial to take place

oz4real83:
you called $4m " paltry" . You get am