As the alleged corruption saga of N1.3 trillion continues to rock the former governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Kingsley Emu, has admitted that his former boss, Okowa, was actually arrested by the anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The SSG owned up on Tuesday November 19, 2024, in a Live interview on Arise TV programme, “The Morning Show” monitored by The Story, when the crew with Dr. Reuben Abati rattled him (Emu), while trying to cover up Okowa’s apprehension by operatives of the Commission.
Emu said: “seizure of passport is a precautionary measure taken by EFCC. He walked himself into EFCC on invitation not by declaration or arrest as was alleged.
“The maximum here they could have done was detained him overnight to complete the process of investigation not arrest which is a misnomer”.
But in a swift interruption, Dr. Abati said: “once you are detained by any of these security agencies, it is an arrest because you have to be granted administrative or court bail before you are released. Don’t put lipstick on that. Once you are detained, you are arrested already “, he insisted
With the stiff response from Dr. Akpati, Emu said “yes of course”, “yeah”, before he was allowed to continue with his responses on other issues raised by Mr. Rufai Oseni
It would be recall that on November 4, 2024, The Story exclusively reported that Okowa, was arrested and detained at the Port Harcourt office of EFCC, in Rivers State.
The EFCC confirmed the arrest of Okowa, on Monday evening November 4, 2024, around 10:20pm.
In a telephone conversation, the spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, said “yes, I can only tell you that he is with us. Yes, the arrest is true”.
“I can say any other thing beyond confirming the arrest”, the EFCC Spokesperson, Mr. Oyewale, added.
It would be recalled also that The Story, had reported that EFCC had released the former governor but seized his passport after he was able to perfect his bail conditions.
Confirming the seizure of Okowa’s passport and other documents, the EFCC Spokesman, Mr. Dele Oyewale, said it is the normal practice in law enforcement.
Hear: “that is normal practice in law enforcement, when you grant somebody bail, you ask for the person’s international passport and some other conditions. It is normal”, Oyewale, said.
