THE immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, is currently being quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Makurdi, following an invitation, according to reports.
Ortom was said to have arrived at the Makurdi zonal office of the anti-graft agency, situated on Alor Gordon Street, by 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
It was also gathered that the former governor was invited to be questioned concerning an ongoing investigation into alleged financial misappropriation during his tenure as an official.
“Former governor Ortom is currently at our Makurdi zonal office in Benue State. He arrived at about 10 a.m. this morning, and he’s still there now. He was invited over an ongoing investigation concerning alleged misappropriation of funds during his time in office,” a source told The Punch.
Meanwhile, efforts by The ICIR to reach the Anti-graft agency spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren hasn’t yielded any response at the time of filing this report. SMS texts and WhatsApp messages were also not responded to.
However, the detailed reasons behind his invitation and subsequent detainment by the EFCC are unclear.
There are media reports that the ex-governor handed over N187 billion debt to the incoming governor, reverend father, Hyacinth Alia.
Ortom, while giving the summary of his tenure on May 28, said his administration was handing over the N187 billion debt, which was made up of salary arrears, loans, contractual obligations, and others.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M