Graft: EFCC Receives Third Fresh Petition Against Godswill Akpabio

 

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has received a fresh petition against Senator Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom State.

Copies of the petition titled, “Petition against former Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State for gross and uncommon abuse of public trust,” were forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari and Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) Lawal Daura.

This was the third petition against the former governor who is now Minority Leader of the Senate. The first was datedJune 8 while the second was dated June 22.

In the latest petition dated, August 3, 2015, the petitioner, Leo Ekpenyong, said he had discovered what he called “uncommon diversion of Akwa Ibom taxpayers’ money for the acquiring of massive properties by the former governor.”

Ekpenyong, who wrote from Leo Ekpenyong and Co chambers said, “The properties owned by Akpabio and his surrogates are itemised as follows:

“Eleven blocks of four luxury flats, making it a total of 44 luxury flats, registered in the name of Prince Ukpong Akpabio. The location is Woji, Port-Harcourt in Rivers State.

“It is worthy of note that former governor Akpabio owns a total of 27 estates different from the ones mentioned in our earlier petitions.

“Some of the housing estates have between 25 and 75 high rise premium units.

“These estates are in the Lekki area (Ikate Elegushi Estate), Lekki Phase 1, near Pan African University off Chevron roundabout (Lagos State).

“Others are Banana Island in Ikoyi, Gbagada on the mainland as well as Ogunlana Drive on the mainland.”

Ekpenyong had earlier sent two petitions to the commission against the former governor.

The petitioner told our correspondent on Wednesday that he had appeared three times before the commission’s investigators to “adopt the petitions.”

He said on the three occasions, he backed up the petitions with oral testimonies and explained to the investigators that he was ready to testify against the former governor.

Spokesperson for the EFCC Wilson Uwujaren, told our correspondent that he did not know if the commission had received the latest petition.

He said, “Several petitions are sent to the commission on a daily basis and none of the petitions is sub-item in my office.

“Because of this, I might not know the details of the petition. That’s the situation.“

The former governor could not be reached for his reaction at the time of going to press.

Calls made to his telephone line indicated that it was switched off, while a text message sent to him was not delivered.

-ThePunch

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