IMO, AUGUST 18, 2016 – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has re-arrested Achike Udenwa, former governor of Imo state, for failing to report to the agency after he was granted administrative bail.
The anti-graft agency, which said this in a statement on its Facebook page Wednesday, disclosed that the former governor was being held in connection with an alleged campaign fund scandal.
According to the EFCC, Udenwa, as a state coordinator for the Presidential Campaign Organisation in Imo state, allegedly collected the sum of N350m from Nenadi Usman, a former senator representing Kaduna south and director of finance for the PDP presidential campaign organisation.
“The suspect, in his statement to the commission admitted receiving the money via Diamond Bank account No.0058805692 and 005950791 respectively on the 14th and 28th of January 2015 in three separate instalments,” it said.
“He added that the money came from a company named Joint Trust Dimension Limited. This same company was charged alongside Mrs Nenadi Usman and the media director of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani Kayode before the federal high court Lagos on a similar allegation.
“Investigations, however revealed that Achike Udenwa and one Viola Onwuliri, a former minister of foreign affairs and state minister for education, who was his deputy at the presidential campaign organisation were the two signatories to the Diamond Bank account that received the money.
“Upon his arrest, Udenwa was immediately granted administrative bail by the commission with condition that he should be reporting to the commission at an appointed time. But while enjoying his administrative bail, Udenwa chose to deliberately skip reporting, thereby compelling the commission to revoke his administrative bail pending his arraignment soon.”
Udenwa was governor of Imo state on the platform of the PDP from 1999 to 2007.
