Udom Emmanuel, former Akwa Ibom State Governor, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N700 billion fraud.
Sources confirmed 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 honour an invitation before being detained.
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His arrest comes amid calls for an investigation into his tenure.
The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), a civil society group, had earlier petitioned both the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urging them to probe Emmanuel’s eight years in office.
In the petition dated January 21, 2025, NACAT alleged that Emmanuel’s administration was plagued by large-scale corruption and embezzlement of public funds.
The document, signed by the group’s operational manager, Stanley Ugabe, was addressed to the chairmen of both anti-graft agencies.
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While it remains unclear if Emmanuel’s arrest is directly linked to the petition, his detention signals a fresh wave of corruption investigations into former public officials.
The EFCC has yet to release an official statement on the matter.
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