EFCC Arrests Ebonyi Governor’s Son, Nnanna Elechi For Money Laundering Offences

Elechi Nnanna Elechi, son of Ebonyi State governor, Martin Elechi, is currently being quizzed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Sources at the anti- graft agency confided in PREMIUM TIMES that the member of the Ebonyi first family who arrived the Commission’s head office in Abuja Thursday morning is being grilled over allegations of money laundering running into millions of naira .

He is alleged to be the face of the family’s company that profited from contracts from the state and local governments running into millions of naira and which remain unexecuted less than four months to the end of his father’s tenure.

Mr. Elechi was yet to be released when PREMIUM TIMES checked with EFCC sources at 9 p.m. on Thursday.

Last week the anti-graft agency quizzed the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Works, Cornelius Onwe; while the state’s Accountant General, Edwin Igbele; Commissioner for Finance, Timothy Ogbonnaya Odaa; and Commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy Matters, Cele Nwali had earlier been being quizzed by operatives of the EFCC, in Abuja.

They were all fingered in allegations of fraud regarding an Asphalt Project earmarked for the 13 local government of the state by the Elechi administration for which monies running into millions of naira was deducted at source, from local government accounts.

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached to comment for this story. He did not answer or return multiple calls made to him. He also did not answer a text message sent to him.

Governor Elechi, a second term governor, will step down on May 29 this year, and investigators suggest he too might be interrogated and prosecuted after his tenure.

Governors and their deputies, just like the President and his vice, are constitutionally immune from trial in Nigeria until after their tenures.