Presidential Aspirant, Anyim And Others Also On EFCC Radar

Another top politician who is also on EFCC radar is a presidential hopeful, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim.

In October, Anyim was said to have been invited by the EFCC for questioning over corruption.

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In a statement via his media spokesman, Sam Nwaobasi, Anyim disclosed that he came to the anti-graft agency on his own volition to clear his name after he was fingered in a corruption case.

The Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), noted that he was, however, surprised that after his engagement with the EFCC officers, he was not allowed to return home.

“Anyim had been inundated with inquiries from friends, associates, PDP faithful and the general public. These were with regards to media reports that he was invited and detained “as part of an investigation in a case of alleged corruption and diversion of public funds.

“It has, therefore, become necessary to put the records straight on what went on between Sunday, 24, to Tuesday, 26 of October. Senator Anyim got information that some person invited by the EFCC in connection with some matter it was investigating mentioned his name in the statement made to the EFCC.

“Determined, as always, to ensure that the truth prevails, Senator Anyim reached out to the officer handling the matter and offered, of his own volition, to come over to the EFCC to clarify any issues around which his name was mentioned. The officer was delighted and they agreed to meet in his office at the EFCC by 3p.m., on Sunday, October 24.

“At the agreed time Senator Anyim arrived at the EFCC office. He was never invited by the EFCC.

“After his engagement, during which Senator Anyim was as candid as could be, to his utter surprise he was told he would not be going home that day.

“By the next day, the EFCC gave the conditions for his release, which were met promptly.

“It took up to Tuesday, 26, for EFCC to complete their processes after which he was allowed to go home

“Senator Anyim, as a law-abiding citizen, will always submit himself to any process required by any agency of the government in the discharge of its duties.

“Senator Anyim, though not disturbed or worried by his encounter with the EFCC, after all he went to their office by himself, has however noted some reports in some social media platforms that deliberately distorted the facts just to call his integrity to question.

EFCC Vs Yahaya Bello & Bailout Scandal

Governor Yahaya Bello and his government is also on the EFCC radar.

The anti-graft agency recently accused the Kogi State government of keeping N19.3 billion of Kogi state salary bailout in an interest-yielding account rather than the account opened to cater for workers’ salaries.

The EFCC had approached a High court for the order in an ex parte application brought pursuant to section 44(2) of the Constitution and section 34(1) of the EFCC Act, and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.

At the time, EFCC's counsel A. O. Mohammed, had told the court that the order was necessary so as to preserve the remaining and abate further dissipation of the funds in the account.

A report by SaharaReporters said the EFCC counsel told the court that the N20 billion loan meant to augment the salary payment and running cost of the state government was kept in an interest-yielding account with Sterling Bank.

He added that instead of using the money for the purpose it was meant for, Sterling Bank Plc, acting on the instruction of the Kogi State Government, transferred the money from the loan account and placed same in a fixed deposit account.

He stated that Sterling Bank Plc had yet to present any credible evidence to show that the facility was secure.

The EFCC in October had called on the Federal High Court in Lagos to vacate the order of forfeiture he earlier placed on the N20 billion bailout funds to which judge, Chukwujekwu Aneke had granted.

One of the grounds was that questions resulting in the commencement of the suit had been clarified, and an intention had been shown to return the sum of N19.3 billion to the Central Bank of Nigeria.

This was after the anti-corruption agency had filed a 13-paragraph affidavit in support of an ex parte application before Justice Tijjani Ringim of the Federal High Court in Lagos to freeze the state’s account to stop further dispensation of the funds in the fixed account.

After listening to the EFCC application, Mr Ringim on August 31, ordered the freezing of the account and directed the publication of the order in a national newspaper by the EFCC.

In November, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) acknowledged receiving N19.3 billion ‘recovered’ by the EFCC from the Kogi State Salary Bailout account domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc.

The EFCC disclosed this in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, last Friday.

It said the return of the money followed a court order directing the unfreezing of the Kogi State Salary Bailout account to enable Sterling Bank to remit the balance in the account to the CBN.

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