The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Saturday recalled the former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, for further questioning over allegations of corruption after he was released on bail on Friday night.
Akpabio, who is currently the Minority Leader of the Senate, was earlier invited by the EFCC on Friday over a petition lodged against him.
The petitioner, Leo Ekpenyong, an Abuja based lawyer, accused Akpabio of stealing N108.1billion of Akwa Ibom funds.
In the petition dated June 22, 2015, Ekpenyong had stated that between January and December 2014, the ex-governor colluded with two of his personal aides to steal the sum of N108.1 billion from the state’s treasury.
“Between January –December 2014, it is on record that the trio of Godswill Akpabio, Mr. Etekamba Umoren and Mr. Udo Isobara, made illegal but substantial withdrawals of cash from a designated state government-owned account with Zenith Bank with account number: 1010375881 amounting to N22.1 billion,” the petitioner alleged.
“It is worthy of note that reasons for such ungodly cash withdrawals against financial regulations and due process laws range between sundry use and unjustifiable expenditures by Akpabio and his numerous surrogates and proxies,” Ekpeyong further said.
He also alleged that “N18 billion was withdrawn fraudulently from the state FAAC account with the United Bank for Africa in tranches of N10 million and above by Mr. Isobara in a surreptitious manner to conceal their dishonest intention.”
Among the properties, which the petitioner claimed the ex-governor acquired through proxies include a multi-billion naira mansion at Plot 5 Ikogosi Spring Close, off Katsina-Ala Crescent, Maitama-Abuja; a multi-billion naira maisonette at Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja and another multi-billion naira mansion at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.