Our reporter

A statement from the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, reads the the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, has arrested the accountant General and five others in relation to financial deal.

He raised concerns within the government about a potential attempt to disrupt state operations.

This led to the arrest of the account general and five others.

The statement, titled “Edo Accountant-General, Four Others Invited by EFCC Over Already Repaid Loan Facility, Officers Detained to Cripple Governance,” detailed the circumstances surrounding the officials’ detention.

The state government confirmed the arrest of five treasury officials, including Accountant-General Julius Anelu, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Commissioner Nehikhare, said the EFCC’s invitation, dated October 28, 2024, requested the officials to appear at the EFCC office in Benin to answer questions related to a repaid agricultural loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

“While the invited officials complied by visiting the Benin office, one officer who was no longer a signatory to state accounts was later released” said Nehikhare.

He stated that, “however, the EFCC then detained a replacement signatory, transferring several officials to its Abuja office”

According to him, “The EFCC seems intent on crippling governance in Edo State and appears to be following a script with serious implications for democracy,”