Eight former local government chairmen in Ondo State have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly misappropriating billions of naira.
The former chairmen were reportedly taken into custody at the EFCC’s Benin zonal office following petitions from concerned local government workers in their respective councils, according to Peoples Gazette.
They are currently being questioned over “fraudulent transactions” that allegedly took place in 2017.
Sources told Peoples Gazette that the financial irregularities occurred during the transition between the former governor, Olusegun Mimiko, who governed from 2009 to 2017, and the late governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who assumed office in February 2017.
“They are currently in the custody of the EFCC in Benin City to answer the case of misappropriation of funds in their respective councils.
“The petition dated when Mimiko was preparing to hand over power to Akeredolu in 2017. The fraudulent transactions were made in the various councils using phoney accounts and contracts to embezzle billions of naira without making recourse to the yearnings of workers in the councils.
“It’s expected that those documents for the deal are still available for investigation, and these council bosses would be able to assist the anti-graft agency in providing answers.
“Let me also tell you that I’m aware that the ongoing investigations of the EFCC spanned across the 18 LGAs of the state. It is interesting that they all have a case to answer,” a source told the online newspaper.
The arrests came just weeks after the state conducted its local government elections, in which the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won all chairmanship seats and some councillorship positions.
Investigations revealed that EFCC operatives had earlier summoned heads of administration departments in the councils, but they failed to appear.
The agency later moved to Ifedore LGA last week to question some administrative staff members.
A source disclosed that treasurers and heads of local government administration allegedly involved in the financial racketeering were also taken in for questioning.
“I think the news of the arrest of the LG chiefs has reached the government, and there is now an intervention effort even from the labour leaders in the state.
“They have been asked to write statements at the EFCC office, and I’m sure more arrests would still be made,” the source added.
A labour leader in the local government council confirmed the EFCC’s invitation to the former chairmen but declined to provide further details.
He stated that he was outside the state and had limited information on the arrests.
The state government’s spokesperson, Ebenezer Adeniyan, was unavailable for comments. EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, also declined to comment when contacted on Saturday.
SaharaReporters’ calls and messages to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale for comment went unanswered at the time of filing this report.
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