The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused Asue Ighodalo, the 2024 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, of obstructing the arrest of a fraud suspect, Mr Jonathan Okunbor.
The anti-graft agency said it is aware of a trending video claiming that Okunbor, who is under investigation for alleged N6bn misappropriation, is an election witness at the Edo State election tribunal.
Okunbor is the main suspect in the case of alleged fund embezzlement in all 18 local governments in Edo State
According to a statement made by the commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyeawale, Okunbor is not a witness for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the electoral tribunal, as alleged by Ighodalo.
“Ongoing investigations showed that about N6billion was diverted to Kezmith Global Ventures owned by Ogunbor. The suspect was running the ventures using the name and identity of Mr. Godfrey Emode.
“The Commission’s investigators, in their quest to unearth the shadiness of Ogunbor, arrested Emode who led them to the suspect in Eterno Hotel where a pre-trial meeting was being held.
“Investigators interrogated the counsel to Ighodalo on the status of Ogunbor in the election tribunal matters and he clearly stated that he was not a witness in the matter.
“In spite of this, Mr. Ighodalo and his co-travellers at Eterno Hotel prevented EFCC officers from carrying out their constitutional duty and obstructed them from arresting Ogunbor.
“Specifically, Ighodalo insisted that Ogunbor was his witness when it was obvious that he only wanted to aid his escape from the Commission’s investigators,” the statement read.
