Otti accuses Ikpeazu of ₦10bn fraud, demands refund or airport

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has accused ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of mismanaging N10 billion meant for an airport project.

Otti made the claim during an interview made on social media, monitored by our correspondent on Thursday 1 may,2025.

He alleged that the former administration withdrew the funds without executing the proposed airport project.

Otti said an audit by his administration uncovered the suspicious withdrawal from the state’s treasury.

He added that the audit was carried out by a reputable international firm, KPMG.

The governor explained that the money was taken under the guise of constructing an airport that never existed.

According to him, the project was neither initiated nor developed throughout Ikpeazu’s tenure.

“We discovered through audit that ₦10 billion was withdrawn for an airport that does not exist,” Otti said.

He added that his administration is demanding a refund or the completion of the airport project.

“If there is no airport, then our money must be returned,” the governor said during the interview.

Governor Otti also accused his predecessor of commissioning an uncompleted government house building.

He said the structure was hastily decorated on the ground floor and presented as a finished project.

“My predecessor commissioned an uncompleted building on May 28 and called it a new government house,” he claimed.

He described the act as fraudulent and misleading to the people of Abia State.

“The ground floor looked finished with Italian furniture, but the upper floors were completely abandoned,” Otti alleged.

He said the first and second floors had no plastering, fittings, or even basic facilities.

“There were no sanitary fittings, no tiles, nothing at all upstairs. That is fraud,” he said.

When asked if he planned to probe Ikpeazu, Otti said he would rather focus on governance.

“I don’t want distractions. I have only four years and too much to accomplish,” he explained.

However, the governor insisted that the ₦10 billion must either be returned or properly accounted for.

“We are not focused on political battles, but we want accountability,” he said.

He noted that the discovery of the withdrawal came from an independent audit review.

Otti said his government is focused on development, transparency, and recovery of state funds.

The former governor, Ikpeazu, is yet to respond to the allegations as at the time of filing this report.

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