UPDATED: EFCC Detains Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa

By Matthew Ogune

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested and detained the immediate past governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

Oasis Magazine gathered that Okowa was taken into custody in Port Harcourt, Rivers Stateb(Zonal Office) over alleged misappropriation and embezzlement of billions of naira belonging to Delta state during his tenure as governor.

The EFCC Spokesperson Dele Oyewale who confirmed the arrest refused to comment further.

Recall that the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking Initiative (NACAT) had submitted substantiated petitions against government officials including Delta state government officials.

NACAT Executive Director of investigation, Tega Oghenedoro during a briefing in Abuja disclosed that the body has submitted a petition for over three months urging it to expand its investigation net to include over N3trillion allocation to Delta State under the 8 years tenure of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa but nothing has been done about it.

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In the petition, Oghenedoro said the body is also requesting the ICPC and the EFCC to look into a staggering sum of N600billion that was borrowed and could not be accounted for by the past administration that left a debt profile of N480billion and unpaid ongoing projects worth over N150 billion.

Recall that Okowa was the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections.

Okowa, a trained medical doctor served as the senator representing Delta North from 2011 to 2019. Before then, he served as the Secretary to the Delta State Government.