EFCC grills Edo council officials over alleged fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Benin Zonal office, on Sunday grilled some officials of the Esan North-East local government area of Edo State.

The officials were grilled on allegations of fraud perpetrated with the connivance of the council chairman, Mr. Augustine Okoibhole.

It was learnt that the officials were later granted administrative bail.

Ripples gathered that the officials that were quizzed were those in the cash office, the executives, recording department, procurement office, health department, revenue, and works departments.

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They were invited based on a petition against the council boss who was accused of corrupt practices.

At least nine councillors from wards 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,20 and 11 had recently petitioned Governor Godwin Obaseki, accusing the chairman of financial recklessness as well as operating of multiple council accounts.

Part of their allegations were that the chairman has not been able to account for N13,348,000 remitted to one of the accounts by the revenue verification committee.

They also alleged that the sum of N144,000,000 realised as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the past 16 months and the N116,350,894 Paris Club refund have not been accounted for.

Spokesman for the EFCC, Benin office, Mr. Wilson Oseghale, who confirmed the development, said “we invited people from everywhere all the time for interrogation and we always make public anybody who is with us. We invite people from all sectors all the time.”

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