Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of a N700 billion fraud.
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Sources confirm that Emmanuel was taken into custody shortly after arriving at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The former governor had reportedly visited the commission to honor an invitation before being detained.
Although the full details of the case remain unclear, reports indicate that the EFCC is probing financial transactions linked to Emmanuel’s tenure as governor, focusing on alleged mismanagement of state funds.
According to impeccable sources, the arrest followed a petition filed by the civil society organization, Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT). The petition accused Emmanuel of receiving over N3 trillion from the Federation Account during his administration but leaving behind a staggering debt of N500 billion and N300 billion in unpaid ongoing projects.
One of the key findings in the EFCC’s investigation is the alleged withdrawal of N31 billion in cash from an account titled ‘Office of the Governor’ between 2019 and 2023.
A source familiar with the case stated:
“We have arrested the former governor of Akwa Ibom over an alleged N700 billion fraud. NACAT’s petition prompted our investigation. The petitioner alleged that Emmanuel received N3 trillion but left behind a debt of N500 billion and unpaid projects worth N300 billion. He is also unable to account for N700 billion. Emmanuel arrived at our office around 12:30 p.m. and was arrested shortly after. Our investigations uncovered N31 billion withdrawn in cash from the ‘Office of the Governor’ account.”
The EFCC has yet to release an official statement regarding the arrest. Efforts to obtain comments from the agency’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful as of press time.
In January 2025, NACAT had called for a thorough investigation into Emmanuel’s administration. However, his aides dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, with his media assistant, Steven Abia, stating that the former governor remained unbothered by the corruption claims.
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