Facts have emerged on how the Delta State Commissioner for Youth, Agbateyiniro Weyinmi, fondly addressed as Agbass, allegedly lied to cover a failed “deal”.
On Thursday 21st March 2024, the embattled Commissioner urged Deltans to shun all forms of rumour mongering, misinformation and falsehood as they portend danger to all concerned, including the state and nation at large.
The Commissioner was reacting to a recent viral report which alleged that he slapped and punched his media aide, Toju Apoh, who brought a visitor’s form to him in the office.
Narrating what transpired, the Commissioner disclosed that some persons in disguise of working with the World Bank, Bank of Africa, NEXIM and AFREXIM Banks, tried to defraud the State but were exposed.
He however, stated that, “the State Police Command can be contacted for details”.
However, investigation revealed that the suspected were allegedly invited by the Youth Commissioner who according to a senior police source gave them money to meet with him in his office.
The police source alleged that it might be a deal that turned fowl, leading him to arrest them to wash his hands off the matter.
Further checks revealed that it was the Commissioner for Youth, who took them (the suspects) on bail.
Investigation unearth that after their arrest by the GRA Police Station, the Commissioner came for their bail and accommodated them.
It was learnt that query bursted among them, forcing him to rearrest them.
Further investigation revealed that the four suspects and the Commissioner allegedly know themselves and what they are doing in the whole saga.
The police source further said, they just wanted to robe in the police in the State into the whole matter.
“It was even the commissioner that invited them, as if they had a deal, the deal now turned fowl”.
Contrary to claims the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sonny Ekedayen, ordered them to be arrested for further interrogation, in order not to interfere with the smooth investigation being conducted by the police, our police source said: “The Commissioner now arrested them. The same commissioner came and took them again on bail.
“Took them to his house, later they started querying, Commissioner brought them to station again. Because how can a commissioner who even sent them transport to come now start talking another thing again? The police source wondered.
The source went further to deny having any suspects of such high criminal profile in their custody, “because as we speak, there is nobody like that in our custody”.
According to SaharaReporters, when contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, SP Edafe Bright, dismissed the account of the commissioner, saying there was no time such a case was reported to the police and no time the police arrested four persons over an attempt to defraud the state government as claimed by the commissioner.
“There is nothing like the arrest of four persons for attempting to defraud the Delta state government. We have investigated and we found nothing of such and those arrested have been released.
“I think they are having their personal beef and the police should not be dragged into their personal beef,” Edafe warned.
According to SaharaReporters, “the embattled commissioner boasted that he would send his “boys” after any journalist who would dare to report the altercation between him and his aide or any other issue concerning his ministry and that such a journalist may not live to tell the story of what happened to them.
“He also denied the altercation with his aide after initially boasting to our reporter to go ahead and write the report about the assault.
“When contacted again by SaharaReporters regarding the update, he said, “The police cannot say that. The police cannot say that.”
It would be recall that The Story had reported that a member of the Delta State Executive Council, Commissioner for Youth Development, Agbateyiniro Weyinmi, fondly addressed as Agbass, has reportedly slapped and punched his media aide simply identified as Toju Apoh.
