Akwa Ibom govt debunks report of EFCC tracing state’s N1.4bn to 11 accounts

The Akwa Ibom State Government has dismissed the claim that the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, traced the sum of
N1.4bn belonging to the state to eleven accounts operated by top
lawyers in the country, describing the allegation as a face-saving
effort by the anti-graft agency.

This reaction was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner
for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, and sent to
journalists in Uyo.

The rebuttal, according to the Commissioner, came at the wake of a
publication by the August 12, 2018 edition of a national daily
captioned: "EFCC traces Akwa Ibom's N1.4b to 11 accounts".

Udoh maintained that such allegation was a ploy to justify EFCC's
unlawful freezing of Akwa Ibom State account, adding that the state
government had already presented the case before the Federal High
Court in Uyo.

The statement read, "The attention of the Akwa Ibom State Government
has been drawn to a publication on the Nation Newspaper of August
12,2018 alleging that N1.4b belonging to Akwa Ibom State Government
was traced to 11 Accounts by the Economic Finanancial & Crimes
Commission (EFCC).

"We wish to state that this is a false allegation and a desperate face
saving effort by the EFCC to justify the unlawful freezing of accounts
of the Akwa Ibom State Government which attracted widespread public
condemnation.

"The Akwa Ibom State Government has served notices of contempt to the
EFCC and would not be dragged into a public discourse on a matter that
is patently sub judice.

"This matter is before the Federal High Court Uyo."