The former governors of Imo and Adamawa States, Ikedi Ohakim and Murtala Nyako, and Mr. Nyako’s son, Abdul-aziz, have been arrested by officials of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission.
The former governors, and Abdul-aziz Nyako, who is a senator now, are to be arraigned at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday on different cases of alleged corruption.
A source at the EFCC had in June told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Ohakim had questions to answer concerning a number of properties allegedly traced to him.
The commission said in a statement that the two Nyakos were wanted on allegations of stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.
Mr. Nyako’s son had been interrogated by the EFCC over alleged illicit funds traced to companies in which he had interest.
Specifically, he was asked to explain how over N15 billion belonging to Adamawa State was allegedly laundered into the accounts of five companies said to owned by him.
The companies are Blue Opal Nigeria Limited, Crust Energy Nigeria Limited, Blue Ribbon Multilinks Limited, Tower Assets Management Limited and Blue Ribbon Bureau De Change.
The funds were allegedly funnelled into the accounts of the five companies, from Adamawa state government bank accounts. The transfer was done by the account officer who incidentally is the manager of the bank and an in-law to former governor, Mr. Nyako.
The EFCC said the manager claimed he transferred the funds based on verbal instructions from the former governor for purposes that were not stated.
The commission said its investigations revealed that from 2007 to 2011, the then Governor Nyako directed that all state-owned accounts domiciled in various banks be transferred to the account supervised by his in-law.
Abdul-Aziz Nyako’s company, Blue Opal, is said to own, among other investments in Nigeria, an estate in Abuja, while his father’s account officer owns several properties and investments scattered around Abuja, Yola and Kano.