Okpebholo Speaks Out: EFCC’s Arrests Of Edo State Officials Linked To Outgoing Government’s Alleged Fund Misuse

Okpebholo Speaks Out: EFCC’s Arrests Of Edo State Officials Linked To Outgoing Government’s Alleged Fund Misuse

Edo State governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has denied any involvement in the recent arrests of the Edo State Accountant-General, Julius Anelu, and four other officials by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Ireporter reports exclusively reported that the EFCC detained these officials, who serve as signatories to state government accounts.…….CONTINUE READING 

Sources confirmed that five Edo State officials, including the Accountant-General, were held at the EFCC’s Benin office. These arrests reportedly followed a summons for a briefing last Thursday.

Okpebholo labeled the EFCC’s actions as a strategic move to prevent any last-minute diversion of state funds by members of the outgoing administration under Governor Godwin Obaseki.

In a statement released by his media aide, Goodwill Inegbe, Okpebholo criticized rumors associating him with the arrests, attributing them to discontent within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who are still reeling from their loss in the September 21 governorship election.

The statement read: “The Edo State governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, is aware of a misleading publication circulating online, linking him to the recent arrest of the Edo State Accountant-General, Mr. Julius Anelu, and others by the EFCC. Our findings show this baseless report was fabricated by PDP members and associates of the outgoing administration.”

The statement added, “In the publication, it was falsely claimed that the governor-elect is using the EFCC to intimidate officials in Governor Obaseki’s administration, which concludes on November 12. It is clear that the PDP and Obaseki’s administration are experiencing severe post-election defeat trauma, resulting in these unfounded accusations.”

According to Okpebholo, he, like any other citizen of Edo, learned of the arrests through media reports. He noted that the EFCC’s actions aimed to prevent last-minute fund withdrawals from state accounts.

He further recalled that just over a week ago, he had issued a public alert on alleged misappropriation of funds and theft of government property within the Government House in Benin and across various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).