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Anxiety In Rivers As EFCC Reopens Investigation Into Odili’s N100bn Fraud Case

Published

11 months ago

Jan 15, 2024.

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is set to reopen the books to probe the former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, causing palpable tension in the state.

The renewed probe is coming after more than 16 years, when the anti-graft agency alleged that Odili had questions to answer over alleged N100 billion fraud involving him.

It will be recalled that Odili, who had obtained a perpetual injunction towards the end of his eight years in office, is being asked to provide answers to how such a huge sum of money found its way into his private account or was expended by his administration.

EFCC Operatives

The former Rivers State governor’s travail began during the era of President Olusegun Obasanjo when he (Odili) braced all the odds to run for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and was allegedly stopped following some information bordering on financial impropriety in his administration.

Coincidentally, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was the chairman of the EFCC then is now the National Security Adviser, NSA, to President Bola Tinubu.

Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, the then Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly under Odili was arrested by the anti-graft agency to extract vital information on the financial transactions of the state.

In 2008, Odili approached a Federal High Court and was granted a perpetual injunction stopping the EFCC, its chairman and other operatives from investigating the financial books of the Rivers State government, including himself or any official of the state on the subject matter.

After over 16 years, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that it is now scrutinizing the alleged fraud involving the former Rivers State governor.

It is challenging to ascertain whether this renewed probe is connected to the ongoing political crisis in the state, as Odili is not the sole former governor under investigation.

The EFCC has clarified that Odili’s case is part of a broader investigation into financial misconduct among former governors, suggesting that the probe is not singularly focused on him.