EFCC Detains Senator For Receiving N303m Vehicles

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested the lawmaker representing Akwa Ibom North-East senatorial district, Senator Bassey Akpan,  for allegedly receiving vehicles worth N303m from oil magnate, Babajide Omokore, who is under trial for alleged fraud.

According to an EFCC report, Akpan while serving as a Commissioner for Finance under the government of Senator Godswill Akpabio, allegedly gave contracts to Omokore worth billions of naira.

The vehicles were believed to be kickbacks. It was learnt that Akpan was arrested by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday.


The EFCC Spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest to our correspondent via a text message. On when the senator was arrested, Uwujaren stated,  “Yes, he was brought in yesterday (Tuesday).”

An EFCC report revealed that the vehicles Akpan allegedly received from Omokore ranged from Range Rover luxury cars to campaign buses and trucks that were bought with the proceeds of fraud.

The report accused Akpan of receiving vehicles worth N303m from Omokore while he was the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance as well as the Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee,  whose job was to ensure that the government projects were completed using direct labour to save some money for the state.

Two of Omokore’s companies — Bay Atlantic Energy and Sahel Energy — were said to have received contracts from the committee headed by Akpan.

Punch