The Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Birthday celebration within the fresh Edo Climate election, Asue Ighodalo, have disagreed over the arrest of an Edo PDP chieftain, Jonathan Okunbor.
In a commentary on Wednesday, the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, mentioned Okunbor used to be arrested over an alleged amusement of N6bn belonging to native govt fields within the order.
The improvement comes within the wake of an allegation through Edo Climate Governor, Monday Okpebholo, that LGA chairmen within the order diverted and remitted about N12bn to leaders of Edo PDP leaders in 15 months.
Previous, in line with a petition through Okpebholo, the order Area of Meeting had suspected the chairmen of the 18 LGAs in Edo Climate.
The Meeting suspended them for what it termed insubordination nearest they kept away from Okpebholo’s call for for his or her councils’ monetary statements.
Ighodalo used to be mentioned to have, in a viral video on Tuesday, raised the alarm concerning the arrest of one of the vital celebration chieftains penned unwell as a observer within the ongoing felony dispute to problem the results of the September 21, 2024 election received through Okpebholo.
However in a commentary on Wednesday, the EFCC insisted that the PDP chieftain, Okunbor, it arrested used to be now not certainly one of Ighodalo’s observers within the ongoing election petition.
The anti-graft company additionally mentioned it arrested Okunbor over an alleged amusement of N6bn from Edo LGAs.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Exposure, Dele Oyewale, mentioned, “The eye of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee has been attracted to a trending video insinuating that Mr. Jonathan Okunbor, a suspect being investigated for an alleged N6bn fraud, used to be an election tribunal observer.
“The commission wishes to state without any equivocation that Okunbor is not a witness of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election tribunal as claimed by Mr. Asue Ighodalo. Rather, he is a prime suspect connected to a case of misappropriation of funds involving all the 18 local government areas of Edo State.”
In step with Oyewale, investigations visible that roughly N6bn used to be diverted to Kezmith International Ventures, an organization owned through Okunbor, including that the suspect allegedly operated the company the usage of the identification of Godfrey Emode.
He mentioned, “Ongoing investigations confirmed that about N6bn used to be diverted to Kezmith International Ventures owned through Okunbor. The suspect used to be operating the ventures the usage of the identify and identification of Mr. Godfrey Emode. “
Oyewale defined that Emode’s arrest led investigators to Okunbor, who used to be discovered at Eterno Lodge all through a pre-trial assembly on Tuesday.
In step with him, Ighodalo’s legal professional showed to the EFCC that Okunbor used to be now not a observer on the tribunal.
“The fee’s investigators, of their quest to unearth the shadiness of Okunbor, arrested Emode, who led them to the suspect in Eterno Lodge, the place a pre-trial assembly used to be being held.
“Investigators interrogated the counsel for Ighodalo on the status of Okunbor in the election tribunal matters and he clearly stated that he was not a witness in the matter,” Oyewale mentioned.
He mentioned regardless of resistance from Ighodalo and others on the scene, he mentioned EFCC officials proceeded with Okunbor’s arrest.
Oyewale mentioned, “Despite this, Mr. Ighodalo and his co-travellers at Eterno Lodge avoided EFCC officials from sporting out their constitutional accountability 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.”
Oyewale mentioned the EFCC used to be dedicated to upholding the guideline of regulation, pronouncing its center of attention remained on pursuing corruption fees regardless of any tribunal-related affiliations.
“The EFCC remains committed to its adherence to the rule of law and the commission 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,” he mentioned.