EFCC has dismissed the alleged viral list of former governors being investigated by the anti-corruption agency for allegedly misappropriating N2.187 trillion.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and other former governors in the Senate would have some relief as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has clarified that it has no association with a circulating list of former governors allegedly under investigation for corruption.
Several media outlets, not OrderPaper, reported on Saturday that the anti-corruption agency is investigating 58 former governors for allegedly misappropriating N2.187 trillion over a span of 25 years.
According to reports, the 58 former governors, some of whom have become Senators, drawn from the six regions of the country, were being probed, while others have been investigated, and prosecuted.
The alleged list of 58 ex-governors, some of whom became lawmakers at the expiration of their tenures and are currently or have previously faced investigations by the EFCC and the alleged fund misappropriated are:
Late Abubakar Audu (N10.966 bn),
TA Orji and sons (N551 bn) Former Senator
Yahaya Bello (N80.2 bn)
Chimaroke Nnamani (N5. 3 bn) – Former Senator
Sullivan Chime (N450 million)
Kayode Fayemi (N4bn)
Ayo Fayose (N6.9 bn)
Abdullahi Adamu (N15bn) Former Senator
Danjuma Goje (N5bn) Serving Senator
Aliyu Wamakko (N15 bn) Serving Senator
Sule Lamido (N1.35 bn)
Joshua Dariye (N1. 16 bn)
Timipre Sylva (N19.2 bn)
Saminu Turaki (N36bn)
Orji Uzor Kalu (N7. 6bn) Serving Senator
Bello Matawalle (N70 bn)
Lucky Igbinedion (N4. 5 bn)
Musa Kwakwanso (N10bn) Former Senator
Peter Odili (N10 bn)
Jolly Nyame (N1.64 bn)
James Ngilari (N167 m)
Abdulaziz Yari (N84 bn) Serving senator
Godswill Akpabio (N100bn) Current president of the Senate
Abdul fatah Ahmed (N9 bn)
Ali Modu-Sheriff (N300bn)
Willie Obiano (N43 bn)
Ibrahim Dankwambo (N1. 3bn) Serving senator
Darius Ishaku (N39bn)
Ramalan Yero (N700m)
Achike Udenwa (N350m)
Rochas Okoroha (N10. 8bn) Former Senator
James Ibori (N40 bn),
DSP Alamieyeseigha (N2.655bn)
Gabriel Suswam (N3. 111bn)
Samuel Orton (N107bn)
Murtala Nyako (N29bn)
Rashid Ladoja (4.7bn)
Christopher Alao-Akala (N11. 5 bn)
Abdulkadir Kure (N600m)
Babangida Aliyu (N4bn)
Abubakar Audu (N10bn)
Idris Wada (N500m)
Ibrahim Shekarau (N950m) Former Senator
Adamu Aliero (N10bn) Serving Senator
Usman Dakingari and wife (N5. 8bn)
Attahiru Bafarawa N19. 6bn)
Jonah Jang (N6. 3bn) Former Senator
Aliyu Doma (N8bn)
Tanko Al’Makura (N4bn) Former Senator
Boni Haruna (N93bn)
Bindow Jibrila (N62bn)
Adamu Muazu (13bn)
Isa Yuguda N212bn)
Mohammed Abubakar (N8. 5bn).
Debunking this alleged list, the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Sunday, described the reports as false and misleading.
He said the “so-called list is a disingenuous fabrication designed to achieve motives known only to the authors.”
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, feels obliged to dissociate itself from a phantom report circulating in sections of the media claiming it has released a full list of ex-governors being investigated for alleged corruption,” the statement read.
“The report headlined: ‘EFCC Releases Full List of 58 Ex- Governors that Embezzled N2 .187 Trillion’, in one of the news outlets, is false and mischievous as the Commission neither issued the said list nor entertained discussions on an investigation of ex-governors with any news medium.”
The anti-graft agency urged the public to disregard the report, saying “it is false and misleading” and urged media practitioners to crosscheck facts about matters under investigation with the Commission to avoid misleading the public with false and inaccurate reports.
OrderPaper recalls that the EFCC has been probing some former governors over allegations of corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
Among them is Akpabio who was asked to “personally report” to the anti-graft agency on 9 May in a follow-up letter by the agency, dated 13 April, to Akpabio through his lawyer, Umeh Kalu, SAN.
He was taken into custody when he submitted himself to the agency and was interrogated for alleged fraud and looting of Akwa Ibom funds when he was governor. He was later released and nothing has been heard of the case since then.
