Edo Accountant-General In EFCC Custody

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended the Accountant General of Edo State, Julius Anelu, along with two other government officials.

The arrests were made as part of an investigation into alleged suspicious withdrawals from the state’s bank account.

Sources within the EFCC revealed that a significant sum of N24.6 billion was deposited into the state’s account; however, approximately N14 billion was reportedly withdrawn within just one week of the deposit.

The EFCC’s action is described as a proactive measure aimed at safeguarding the state’s financial interests rather than hindering its operations, as some have suggested.

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A source familiar with the investigation stated, “We made some arrests of about two to three persons, including the Accountant General of the state. We have been investigating the governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, since 2022, but this latest arrest was as a result of some withdrawals from the state’s derivation account.

“The amounts withdrawn were huge sums. For instance, about some weeks ago, N24.6 billion was paid into that account. But in less than one week, about N14 billion was remaining in the account. To save the state, we had to quickly move. We are not in any way doing that to ground the state activities.”

The situation follows recent accusations from the governor-elect of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who has criticized the current administration for what he termed “last-minute borrowings and looting.”

In a statement issued on October 16, Okpebholo called for investigations by the EFCC, police, and the Department of State Services into these allegations.