A well-placed source within the EFCC has warned against undue expectation over the ongoing investigation of the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Godswill Akpabio [image above], by the EFCC.
The source described the interrogation of Akpabio by the anti-corruption agency as a well-rehearsed drama meant to fool members of the public that Akwa Ibom people are about to get justice for the rape of their state.
“But that is not going to happen,” the source said. He revealed that the entire drama of the former governor’s interrogation for hours over many days at the EFCC headquarters is meant purely to let the man off the hook.
The EFCC source said “the hidden agenda behind the Akpabio investigation is to clear the former governor of all the charges against him and close the case so that Akpabio will not be among the corruption cases that will be handed over to the new chairman of the EFCC when Lamorde retires next month.”
The source insisted that what is going on is Lamorde’s parting gift to a good friend who has taken excellent care of him over the years.
He stressed that the strategy was designed and is being executed by Ibrahim Lamorde, the chairman of EFCC, to fool the public and protect his friend, Barr Godswill Akpabio.
The source pointed out that Lamorde has been a close friend and protector of Godswill Akpabio right from when the former governor of Akwa Ibom State was in office.
He said evidence of their close relationship was on display recently during the attempt by the current Senate to investigate Lamorde for alleged misappropriation of funds recovered from corrupt public officials.
Akpabio publicly disassociated himself from the probe and rallied other senators to the defence of Lamorde.
The source also called attention to the undue respect with which Akpabio was treated while in EFCC custody and noted that such courtesy was not extended to other governors who were also interrogated at different times by the EFCC.
The source said Akpabio was not made to sleep in EFCC cell, whereas other ex-governors like him were detained in EFCC cells for days while they were undergoing interrogation.
It would be recalled that ex-governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State and Ikedia Ohakim of Imo State, were detained in EFCC cells for days while undergoing interrogation at the agency headquarters in Abuja.
But Akpabio was allowed to go home each of the two days he was interrogated by the EFCC.
Udom N. Akpabio Esq