The Akwa Ibom State Government has dismissed the claim that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, traced the sum of N1.4bn belonging to the state to eleven accounts operated by top lawyers in the country, describing the allegation as a face-saving effort by the anti-graft agency.
This reaction was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, and sent to journalists in Uyo.
The rebuttal, according to the Commissioner, came at the wake of a publication by the August 12, 2018 edition of a national daily captioned: “EFCC traces Akwa Ibom’s N1.4b to 11 accounts”.
Udoh maintained that such allegation was a ploy to justify EFCC’s unlawful freezing of Akwa Ibom State account, adding that the state government had already presented the case before the Federal High Court in Uyo.
The statement read, “The attention of the Akwa Ibom State Government has been drawn to a publication on the Nation Newspaper of August 12,2018 alleging that N1.4b belonging to Akwa Ibom State Government was traced to 11 Accounts by the Economic Finanancial & Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“We wish to state that this is a false allegation and a desperate face saving effort by the EFCC to justify the unlawful freezing of accounts of the Akwa Ibom State Government which attracted widespread public condemnation.
“The Akwa Ibom State Government has served notices of contempt to the EFCC and would not be dragged into a public discourse on a matter that is patently sub judice.
“This matter is before the Federal High Court Uyo.”
