With just days left until the transition of power to the incoming Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained Edo State’s Accountant General, Mr. Julius Anelu, along with four other key officials associated with state government accounts.
According to sources, the arrests, which have reportedly prompted panic among outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki inner-circle, reportedly took place on Thursday and involved officials who serve as primary signatories for the state’s financial accounts.
The officials are currently held at the EFCC’s Benin office, a measure believed to prevent potential last-minute withdrawals from state funds. The Edo State House of Assembly had allegedly approved a budget a couple of weeks prior to the new government’s scheduled inauguration, which may have triggered the agency’s intervention.
One source noted that government operations are effectively stalled, impacting payments to civil servants, pensions, and other public servants, as well as other essential obligations like security bills.
“The commission intends to keep the detained officials until November 12, coinciding with the end of the current administration’s tenure,” the source added.
When reached for comment, EFCC’s spokesman in Edo, Williams Oseghale, directed reporters to the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Dele Oyewale. However, despite follow-up text messages sent to Oyewale’s phone, a response had not been received by the time of this report.
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