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Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has been taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misappropriating N700 billion.
Sources reveal that Emmanuel, who governed the state from 2015 to 2023, arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday after being summoned by the agency.
Following his arrival, he was detained for questioning regarding accusations of money laundering, fund diversion, and embezzlement.
An anonymous EFCC source disclosed that the investigation was triggered by a petition from the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking, a civil society organization.
The petition alleged that Emmanuel received N3 trillion from the Federation Account during his tenure but left the state with a debt of N500 billion and uncompleted projects valued at N300 billion. He is reportedly unable to account for N700 billion.
Further investigations, according to the source, uncovered cash withdrawals amounting to N31 billion from a single account named “Office of the Governor” between 2019 and 2023.
Efforts to obtain a statement from EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful, as his phone remained unreachable at the time of reporting.