Looted Funds: Bayelsa Govt Denies Suit Against EFCC

The Bayelsa Government on Tuesday denied media reports that it had filed a suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over funds looted by its former Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC had in a statement on Monday said that it was yet to be served court summons for the suit, reportedly filed in a Federal High Court, Abuja, by the government.

Mr Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media and Publicity at EFCC, in the statement, accused the Bayelsa government of using the suit as a ploy to distract the commission from ongoing N14.7 million fraud case against some officials of the government.

NAN recalls that the EFCC had on Feb. 28 arraigned Messrs Apiri Richard Tonye and Paul Charles before Justice Kate Abiri of the Bayelsa State High Court, Yenegoa.

However, a statement issued in Yenagoa by Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Seriake Dickson, denied the involvement of the state government in the said suit.

“The attention of the Bayelsa State Government has been drawn to a publication in some sections of the media entitled `Bayelsa asks EFCC to remit N1.4 billion from Alamieyeseigha’.

“The said reports quoted one Mr George Uboh, Chief Executive of Panic Alert Security System, reportedly acting on the mandate of the Bayelsa State Government, wrote to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to remit the twin sums of N1.4 billion and $1.3 million recovered from a former Governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

“The Bayelsa State Government denies the reports and stated categorically clear that it did not mandate any individual or firm to act on its behalf to request or institute any suit against the EFCC,” the statement read in part.

The statement called on the EFCC and the general public to disregard the publications. (NAN)