By Sunday Elom N
The Nigeria’s top anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested the former governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji and his two sons, Chinedu who is the incumbent Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly.
Orient Weekend learnt that Orji, who has been on the EFCC’s wanted list, was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 10a.m on Thursday, from where he was taken to the Commission’s headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Anti-graft agency has been investigating the former governor and his sons, Chinedu and Ogbonna, over alleged misappropriation of public funds and money laundering.
It was gathered that his son, Chinedu, submitted himself to the commission when he learnt that his father has been arrested and was immediately detained.
Orji is being probed on the allegation that he received N500 million monthly between 2007 and 2015 as security vote for his eight years in office as governor of Abia State.
He is also being investigated for mismanagement of N2billion Ecological and Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program, Sure-P, Funds.
EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the development but however declined further comments on the matter.
Recall that the commission had in February 2020 interrogated the ex-governor and his Speaker son over allegations bordering on diversion of N521 billion public funds.
The investigation had resonated from a petition dated March 17, 2017, filed against the duo by a group identified as Fight Corruption: Save Nigeria Group.
According to the petitioners, Mr. Orji diverted ”N383 billion revenue from the Federation Account, N55 billion Excess Crude revenue, N2.3 billion Sure-P revenue, N1.8 billion ecological funds, N10.5 billion loan, N12 billion Paris Club refund, N2 billion agricultural loan, and N55 billion ASOPADEC money while in office.”
The petitioners had further stated that the former governor allegedly withdrew N500 million monthly which “was not part of the security funds expended on the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security, DSS, Navy anti-Kidnapping Squad, anti-robbery Squad, purchase of Security equipment and vehicles for the security agencies.”
They also alleged that the accounts which run both as corporate and individual “received so much deposit in cash with