15
Jan
Jan
EFCC CLARIFIES RAID ON ETERNO HOTEL, SAYS OKUNBOR IS A PRIME SUSPECT IN N6BILLION FRAUD CASE
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Nicolas Adekeye / 3 months
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- 2 min read
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied allegations that its operatives raided a hotel in Benin to intimidate witnesses in the Edo State governorship tribunal. In a statement, Head, Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, clarified that the Commission’s operatives were at Eterno Hotel to arrest Jonathan Okunbor, a prime suspect in a N6billion fraud case. Dele Oyewale stated that Okunbor is not a witness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election tribunal as claimed by Asue Ighodalo, but rather a suspect connected to a case of misappropriation of funds involving all 18 local government areas of Edo State. Oyewale noted that ongoing investigations showed that about N6billion was diverted to Kezmith Global Ventures owned by Okunbor, who was running the ventures using the name and identity of Godfrey Emode. According to Oyewale, the Commission’s investigators arrested Emode, who led them to Okunbor at Eterno Hotel, where a pre-trial meeting was being held. However, Ighodalo and his associates prevented EFCC officers from carrying out their constitutional duty and obstructed them from arresting Okunbor. “Specifically, Ighodalo insisted that Okunbor was his witness when it was obvious that he only wanted to aid his escape from the Commission’s investigators,” Oyewale said. Oyewale emphasized that the EFCC remains committed to its adherence to the rule of law and has no business with any Edo State election witness that has no corruption charge before it. “The EFCC will not hesitate to bring anyone to trial, witness or no witness, if it has a basis for doing so,” he added. The public is assured that Okunbor will be brought to book soon in connection with the alleged N6billion fraud involving his firm, Kezmith Global Ventures.