Politics

PDP chief, Ize-Iyamu detained by EFCC 24hrs after lashing Oshiomhole (Updated)

Published

8 years ago

May 11, 2016

A PDP chieftain and governorship aspirant in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has been detained by the EFCC after he reported to the offices of the anti-graft agency.

Ize-Iyamu who honoured the agency’s invitation was held back, and was with the operatives overnight. he was later released Wednesday on bail.

His detention may not be unconnected to the fact that Ize-Iyamu was the Director-General of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation in the state during the last general elections, and may be suspected to have shared in funds allegedly meant for the procurement of arms.

There were also indications that the EFCC may have extended such invitation to PDP members around the country who are suspected to have taken part in the alleged sharing of funds released by the Central Bank of Nigeria for elections.

Ize-Iyamu had only hours earlier disclosed that the Adams Oshiomhole-led administration in the state received over N1 trillion in the last seven and a half years from the Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, but lamented that the fund was squandered on highly inflated projects that were not evenly distributed across the state.

He said in a paper entitled, Edo State Economy: The Way out, he presented at a town hall meeting, on Tuesday, in Benin, that “A government that chooses deliberately to ignore agriculture, industry, tourism, sports, solid minerals, etc cannot be seriously concerned about the economy of the state.”

He was alleged to have bribed officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, during the 2015 general elections.

A source at the EFCC, Port Harcourt office, confirmed that the aspirant was granted administrative bail Wednesday around 2:30pm and he is to appear on a later date already communicated to him.

“He thought he could secure his bail on Tuesday night but you know the investigation here is always thorough and detailed and we had to keep him till Wednesday.”

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