Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has denied any link to Ibanga Akpabio, a cousin of former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio.
A statement by the commission’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, on Wednesday said Magu never met Akpabio who is in detention over a N10million oil scam.
The EFCC said its attention was drawn to a recorded audio conversation attached to a report with the caption “EFCC Detains Brother of Former Akwa Ibom State Governor Ibanga Akpabio” published in Sahara Reporters’
It said the recording allegedly features two Akwa Ibom politicians, Ibanga Akpabio and a certain Osong.
“In the said 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.
“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.
“Members of the public are therefore enjoined to disregard the recorded conversation as plain braggadocio,” the statement read.
Akpabio was arrested on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on allegation that he collected N10 million from a potential investor in petroleum products.
“Specifically, Mr. Akpabio reportedly approached the investor to invest the money as an equity in the purchase of petroleum products directly from a floating station belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,” the EFCC said.
“He allegedly assured the investor that he had secured all necessary approvals for the running of the business.
“Mr. Akpabio allegedly collected the money through a Diamond Bank account operated by Fastej Enterprises and neither kept faith with the business arrangements with the investor nor returned his money to him.
“He is currently undergoing interrogation at the Port Harcourt Zonal office of the EFCC.”
