The Edo State Government has spoken out regarding the recent arrest of its Accountant General, Mr. Julius Anelu, along with four other officials from the State’s Treasury Office. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) apprehended them over an alleged agricultural facility loan that the state government has already repaid.
The arrests occurred last Thursday when the EFCC detained Anelu and the other officials, who are all signatories to the state government’s accounts. In a statement released on Sunday, the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehokhare, criticized the EFCC’s actions, claiming they were designed to undermine governance in Edo State.
Nehokhare stated, “The Accountant General and four others were invited by the EFCC concerning a loan facility that has already been repaid. They were simply required to provide necessary answers, but instead, they were arrested and taken to the EFCC’s office in Abuja.”
He expressed concern that this move could disrupt the state’s operations.
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According to Nehokhare, the EFCC had sent a letter dated October 28, 2024, inviting the officials to its office in Benin City.
The letter addressed issues regarding “Loans and Agricultural Interventions Granted to the Edo State Government from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) from 2018 to date.”
The government had already settled these loans, he noted.
Nehokhare detailed the circumstances of the arrest, stating, “When the officials arrived at the EFCC office to respond to the invitation, they discovered that one of the invited officials was no longer a signatory to the government account. This person was subsequently released, while the EFCC requested the current signatory, who was not listed in the original invitation. That officer is now also being held by the agency in Abuja.”
He further expressed frustration that the actions of the EFCC could potentially paralyze the state’s governance.
“From Monday, the government will be grounded, and we will struggle to meet our basic responsibilities and obligations,” he said.
Nehokhare condemned the EFCC’s actions as “most condemnable” and urged the agency not to disrupt the operations of the Edo State government, which, under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki, is committed to transparency and accountability.