Akpabio: arrested for N10m oil scam

Operatives of  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC  have arrested Ibanga Ime Akpabio which it described as a cousin to the former Akwa Ibom Governor, Godswill Akpabio for his involvement in a N10 million oil scam.

He was arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, EFCC said in a statement signed by Wilson Uwajaren, its spokesperson on Wednesday.

The anti graft agency said Akpabio’s arrest was occasioned by an allegation that he collected a sum of N10 million from a potential investor in petroleum products.

Specifically, Akpabio reportedly approached the investor to invest the money as equity in the purchase of petroleum product directly from a floating station belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

He allegedly assured the inventor that he had secured all necessary approvals for the running of the business.

He allegedly collected the money through a Diamond Account being operated by Fastej Enterprises and neither neither kept faith with the business arrangements with the investor nor returned his money to him.

EFCC said the suspect is urgently undergoing interrogation in its Port Harcourt’s Zonal office.

Meanwhile, the anti graft agency has also denied claims by the suspect in an audio published in an online news portal which featured two Akwa Ibom politicians, Ibanga Akpabio and a certain Osong.

In the audio recording, a voice purporting to be Akpabio could be heard dropping the names of some security chiefs including the acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu and boasting about the supposed EFCC boss’ willingness to help deal with his purported political adversaries in Akwa Ibom state, especially a certain Robinson Uwak.

But the Commission said the claim is completely false.

“The Commission wishes to state that the claims in this tape especially as it affects Mr. Magu are patently false.

“The EFCC boss has never met Ibanga Akpabio all his life and could not have been party to any violent scheme to settle unknown political scores in Akwa Ibom State.

Indeed, if Magu were Akpabio’s Man-Friday as he would have his ‘friend’ believe, he would not today be a suspect answering to charges of fraud before the Commission,” the anti graft agency said.