EFCC quizzes ex-Benue officials for alleged N107bn fraud

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THE Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bashkir Makama, on Thursday said that nine people out of the 52 arraigned by the Justice Elizabeth Kpojime Commission of Inquiry had been captured.

He said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in conjunction with the police captured and kept them at the State Police Headquarters, Makurdi, before taking them to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for further examination and resulting indictment.

Makama said, "It is a piece of the procedure to recuperate the claimed N107 bn plundered from the Benue State treasury by 52 people and 10 corporate associations in the last organization as answered to the counter join office by Governor Samuel Ortom.''

Those captured were previous Governor Gabriel Suswam's Special Adviser, Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Solomon Wombo, a previous Permanent Secretary of the authority, Mr. Asen Sambe, and the bookkeeper, Mr. Isaiah Ipevnor.


Others were Janet Aluga, Moses Detso, Peter Ochoga, James Gera, Aorga Emmanuel and a previous Legal Adviser of the Benue Investment and Property Company, Mr. John Tyokegh.

Wombo reported himself to the police at the Force Headquarters in Abuja and is at present being kept there.

One of the agents, who talked on state of obscurity to our reporter, said one of those arraigned by the Kpojime Commission, Mr. Richard Gbande, got away when the police went to capture him yet his two autos were appropriated.

He uncovered that a lot of cash and ammo were recuperated from the places of some of those captured.

Responding to the improvement, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Michael Gusa, who additionally affirmed the captures, expressed that the Ortom organization would do everything legitimately conceivable to recoup the plundered assets.

Gusa said, "I need to guarantee the general population of the state that after the recuperation of the cash, it would be diverted towards the improvement of the state and in addition the clearing of all compensations and different privileges owed specialists and beneficiaries."