EFCC, ICPC, Urged To Investigate Udom’s Tenure In Akwa Ibom 

An anti-graft organisation, the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC), calling for a thorough investigation of the tenure of former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom.

The group, which alleged in the petition signed by its operational manager, Stanley Ugabe and sighted by LEADERSHIP stated that the former governor mismanaged state funds, and 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.”

In the petition, the group alleged that, based on its investigation, about N700 billion remained unaccounted for during the former governor’s eight years in office.

While listing some of the ways monies were spent, the group said 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.

Also, the group called the attention of the EFCC and the ICPC to investigate 1,521 withdrawals totalling N1,160,000,000 by a single individual under Udom’s tenure.

It should be recalled that former Delta State governor Okowa is currently being investigated for the alleged diversion of N1.3tn.

The N1.3tn represents the 13 per cent derivation fund from the federation account between 2015 and 2023.

Also, former Kogi State Governor Bello is facing corruption charges stemming from his activities during his eight-year tenure in office.

The former governor, along with Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, is being prosecuted as the first and third defendants, respectively, in a fresh N110bn 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.