Okpebholo Links Reports Of EFCC Clampdown To Alleged Looting

Edo State governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, yesterday said the viral report that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested Edo State accountant-general, Julius Anelu and four others is to halt last minute alleged looting of state funds by the outgoing state government officials under Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Senator Okpebholo, in a statement by his special assistant on Media, Goodwill Inegbe, also frowned at a report linking him to the arrest of the state accountant-general.

The statement added that those linking the governor-elect to the EFCC clampdown were apparently PDP members who are still pained by the party’s defeat in the September 21 governorship election.

The statement read, “The attention of the Edo State governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has been drawn to a misleading publication circulating on social media, linking him to the recent arrest of the Edo State accountant-general, Mr Julius Anelu, and four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Our investigation has revealed that this baseless publication, filled with assumptions and lacking fundamental facts, was concocted by members of the PDP and associates of the outgoing administration under Governor Obaseki.

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“In the publication, the author falsely accused the governor-elect of using the EFCC to intimidate officials of Governor Obaseki’s administration, whose tenure is set to end on November 12.

“It is evident that the PDP and members of Governor Obaseki’s outgoing administration are experiencing severe post-election defeat trauma. This has apparently led to unfounded reactions from them.

“The governor-elect, like every citizen of Edo, learnt about the arrest of Mr Julius Anelu and other state officials through media reports. The arrest by the EFCC reportedly aimed to forestall last-minute withdrawals from the state’s accounts.

“It is worth recalling that just over a week ago, through a press statement, we alerted the public and relevant security agencies to the ongoing looting of funds and theft of government properties at the Government House in Benin and across various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).”