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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa.
The former governor was arrested on accusations of misusing funds derived from resource allocation.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a former Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, for alleged diversion of ₦1.3 trillion 13% derivation fund from the federation account between 2015 and 2023.
Read Also: EFCC Arrests Edo State Accountant General, 4 Other Officials
An EFCC source confirmed the former governor’s arrest to Newsmen on Monday.
Okowa was arrested on Monday, November 4, 2024, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when he reported at the Port Harcourt Directorate of the EFCC on the invitation of investigators handling his matter.
The former governor was alleged to have failed to render accounts of the funds as well as another ₦40 billion he allegedly claimed he used to acquire shares in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas.
Specifically, Okowa allegedly bought shares worth N40 billion in one of the major banks in the country representing 8% equity to float the offshore LNG. The funds were alleged to be used for other purposes.
Investigators are also investigating the diversion of funds by the former governor to acquire estates in Abuja and Asaba in Delta state.
He is being held at the EFCC holding facility in Port Harcourt.
Okowa was the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election.
In other news, twelve days to the end of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s eight years in Edo State, the state Accountant General, Mr Julius Anelu and four officials of the government have allegedly been arrested by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC.
The Eastern Updates gathered that the officials were allegedly arrested for being signatories to the state government’s accounts.
A source within the agency said the staff were being held at the Benin zonal office of the agency.
