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April 28, 2023
The EFCC earlier invited Akpabio to appear for questioning on March 29 but the lawyer representing the Senator-elect, Umeh Kalu (SAN), in a letter to the anti-graft agency said his client was suffering from pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has again invited Godswill Akpabio, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs over an allegation of abuse of office and misappropriation of billions of Naira.
The EFCC earlier invited Akpabio to appear for questioning on March 29 but the lawyer representing the Senator-elect, Umeh Kalu (SAN), in a letter to the anti-graft agency said his client was suffering from pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia.
Kalu said Akpabio would be unable to honour the invitation on March 29 due to ill health.
According to the lawyer, Akpabio had already arranged medical appointments overseas. He, therefore, asked the EFCC to reschedule the questioning to a new date.
“As mentioned in our last letter to you dated February 10, 2023, our client is undergoing treatment for pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia, and, has recently been advised to seek further attention abroad.
“It is in the light of the above, that we respectfully request that our client's appointment with you be rescheduled to a date convenient to your officers, preferably after the forthcoming Easter and Ramadan holidays,” the letter from Kalu dated March 27, 2023 reads.
However, SaharaReporters on Friday obtained a fresh letter from the EFCC asking Akpabio to come to its headquarters in Abuja on May 9, 2023.
The letter dated April 13, 2023, was received by Akpabio’s lawyers, Seasons Law Firm the following day.
The letter titled, ‘Investigation Activities Re: Senator Godswill Akpabio's Appointment Letter Of Invitation’ was signed by ACE II SM Ala, Head, CMU-1.
The letter reads, “I refer to your letter number dated March 27, 2023 on the above subject. In view of the above, you are kindly requested to inform your client Senator Godswill Akpabio to personally report for an interview with the undersigned through the Head, CMU-1 team on 9th May, 2023 at 5th Floor, EFCC Headquarters Plot 301/302 Institutions and Research District. Jabi, Abuja at 10:00am.”
Meanwhile, Akpabio is one of the contenders for the Senate Presidency. On Tuesday, Akpabio and Jibrin Barau, another contender, visited the ‘President-elect’, Bola Tinubu at his Abuja residence and there are reports that the former stands a better chance of clinching the support of the party for the position.
SaharaReporters in 2021 reported how the senator-elect was detained after he attempted to bribe the Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Abdulrasheed Bawa with $350,000 (about N135 million).
According to sources, Akpabio was trying to bribe the EFCC Chairman because of the tons of corruption allegations against him, dating back to the time he was governor of Akwa Ibom State.
It was learnt that the meeting between Akpabio and Bawa was arranged by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
SaharaReporters gathered that it took a call from the Aso Villa to the EFCC Chairman to get Akpabio and his aides released.
A top source in the EFCC had said, "He arrived at the EFCC office with five others and headed to meet the newly appointed Chairman, Bawa.
"The Attorney General of the Federation who was recently arranged the meeting for the minister. You remember his bribery issue with Malami himself involving $5 million.
"He was ushered in at 1 pm to see the EFCC chairman while carrying the money personally. He was arrested and detained, along with his aides, all six of them. It was a call from the Villa that got him released after two hours."
There had been allegations of N40 billion fraud perpetrated in the NDDC, a ministry which was headed by Akpabio for three years.
The Senate and the House of Representatives in 2020 resolved to probe the alleged N40 billion financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC in the previous three months.
Also, there were allegations of over N86 billion contract scam involving the senator-elect and the former Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC has been looking into.
The anti-graft agency had in the past arrested Akpabio over the alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds.