EFCC moves against Obaseki’s administration, detains Edo state account signatories

Just days before Edo State’s administration changeover, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly detained all authorised signatories to the state’s government accounts, allegedly to curtail financial transactions by Governor Godwin Obaseki’s outgoing administration.

Reports indicate that EFCC operatives detained five high-ranking officials on Thursday evening, including Edo State’s Accountant General, Julius Anelu, after they were called to the Commission’s office in Benin City for questioning. According to a confidential source within the EFCC, the detainees were apprehended as part of a broader move aimed at restricting access to state funds before the scheduled November 12 handover to Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who won the September 21 governorship election.

“This action effectively halts all government operations involving financial transactions, as the detained officials are crucial to the processing of salaries, pensions, and other fiscal duties,” a source at the office of the Accountant General revealed. “Without their signatures, no disbursements can be made, which could lead to disruptions in essential services and payments,” the source added.

READ ALSO:How I plan to govern Edo State – Governor-elect Okpebholo

The detained officials’ prolonged custody, reportedly until the transition of power, raises concerns about potential delays in salaries and payments to state workers and retirees. Another anonymous source noted that the arrests also impact the disbursement of statutory security funds and other government obligations, a move that may lead to increased tension within the state.

Efforts to confirm the situation were met with limited response from the EFCC. When contacted, the Commission’s spokesperson in Edo State, Williams Oseghale, deferred queries to the agency’s head spokesperson, Dele Oyewale. In response to a message, Oyewale only requested that all questions be sent via text, which remained unanswered at the time of this report.

An official close to the investigation confirmed that the Accountant General and other detained officials are still in EFCC custody, sparking widespread speculation and concerns over the reasons and timing of their detention

Written by Sakinat Musa Abubakar, Editor at Neptune Prime 

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