Dateline: January 21, 2008
Wanted former Governor Lucky Igbinedion today surrendered to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the agency’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos. Mr. Igbinedion turned himself in at 1:10 PM.
Lawyers and aides accompanied the former two-term governor of Edo State to the EFCC offices. After a few formalities, the agency officially detained Mr. Igbinedion, and commenced his interrogation.
Mr. Igbinedion was two weeks ago declared wanted by a Federal High Court judge, Binta Nyako, at the instance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-corruption agency has compiled a 142-count corruption rap sheet against the former governor.
Mr. Igbinedion returned to Nigeria after a whirlwind trip to visit his family in the New York and Boston areas. He traveled to Nigeria via Freetown, Sierra Leone where he is believed to have been in hiding in the last few months of his sojourn as a fugitive from the law.
Saharareporters had earlier reported that Mr. Igbinedion owns substantial business interests in Sierra Leone, which include a brewery, quarry and recently a failed fishing business, where the former governor lost $16 million to a South African business partner in May 2007.
EFCC sources told Saharareporters earlier today that the former governor would not be returning home tonight. An agency source said Igbinedion may be arraigned tomorrow or the day after before a high court judge in Lagos.
Our correspondents in Nigeria interviewed many Edo indigenes who expressed delight that Mr. Igbinedion will finally be put in the dock. “By some accounts, this man stole close to 60% of monies allocated to the state during his eight-year tenure,” said Samson Eghose, a graduate who says he has been unemployed for more than six years. “This man and his family were stealing our money to buy mansions in England and South Africa while millions of poor people were suffering,” he added.
Tony Iyase, another Edo indigene, told a Saharareporters correspondent that the former governor's father and brothers as well as former chairman of the PDP’s Board of Trustees, Mr. Anthony Anenih, were active collaborators in the looting of the state treasury. “My question is, why has the EFCC not mentioned these other collaborators?” he asked.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
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