Edo Officials Arrested: Government Claims Operations Will Be Grounded

In light of the recent arrest of the Accountant-General and others, the Edo government warns that these developments threaten to paralyze its operations.

The Edo State Government has criticized the recent summons and arrest of its Accountant-General, Julius Anelu, along with four other officials by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), calling it an attempt to destabilize the state.

The EFCC’s letter, titled “Loans and Agricultural Interventions Granted to Edo State Government from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) from 2018 to date,” requested Anelu along with four treasury officials to report at the agency’s office in Benin City.

Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, stated that the agricultural loan has already been repaid by the state government.

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Nehikhare clarified that once it was discovered one of the invited officials was no longer a signatory to the government account, the EFCC released this officer and requested for the current signatory whose name had not been included on the original invitation letter.

He added, “The officer in question is now also being held by the agency in Abuja, along with the others who were initially invited and complied.”

The Commissioner voiced worries that “the EFCC appears determined to hinder governance in Edo State and is following a plan that poses serious risks to democracy.” He further stated, “The real motive behind the invitation of these civil servants contradicts what was mentioned in the letter; it seems intended to detain them with the EFCC until November 12, which marks the end of this government’s term.”

Nehikhare highlighted that starting Monday, the government would be at a standstill and unable to fulfill essential duties. He described the EFCC’s actions as “utterly condemnable and reprehensible,” urging the agency to prioritize “democracy, justice, peace, and the wellbeing of Edo people” by releasing the detained officials.