The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) correspondence seen by thenewspad.com, has revealed that the detained State Accountant General, Mr. Julius O. Anelu, and three other, did not honour two separate letters of invitations from the agency prior to their arrest and detention last week Thursday, few days to handing over to the Governor-elect, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, by the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki.
EFCC documents addressed to the Secretary to Edo State Government reads, “we refer to our earlier letters with Reference CR: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/EG/T6/VOL.4/079 and CR: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/EG-1/TA/ED/VOL. 3/430 dated 17th September, 2022 and 29th September, 2023 respectively, which were not honoured.
“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to come along with Julius O. Onelu, Martina Osasu-Uwoghiren, Adaghe Anthony and Okhomina Godwin to attend”, according to the letter signed by Director of Investigation, Aisha Abubakar on behalf of Director, Investigation, EFCC, Abuja and received on 29th October 2024.
But the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare acknowledged invitation letters dated October 28, 2024, to four officials from the Edo State Treasury Office, including the Accountant General, Julius Anelu, to its Benin Office on false pretence and demanded for their release.
He said the CBN Agricultural loan facility running into billions of Naira in which the State officials were detained for had been repaid by the State government, noting that the action of the anti graft agency, could cripple govt, governance in the State.
He said, the EFCC letter of invitation, addressed to the Secretary to the State Government and titled “Loans and Agricultural Interventions Granted to Edo State Government from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) from 2018 to date”.
“The government officers, including the State Accountant on Thursday, honoured the invitation as requested at the Benin Office of the EFCC to provide necessary answers as required by the EFCC.
“However, upon realizing that one of the invited officials was no longer a signatory to the government account, the EFCC released the officer and requested for the current signatory, whose name was not initially on the invitation letter.
“The said officer is now also being detained by the agency at Abuja , in addition to the others who were originally invited and honoured the invitation.
“The EFCC seems intent on crippling governance in Edo State and acting out a script that portends grave danger to democracy.
“The reason for the invitation of these civil servants is clear, contrary to the invitation letter is to keep them in EFCC custody till November 12, on the day of the termination of the tenure of this government.
“In fact, from Monday, the 4th of November 2024, the government would have been grounded and will no longer be able to meet up with basic responsibilities and obligations”, according to Nehikhare.
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