Alledged NDDC N40 billion scam: Senate insists letter seeking Akpabio’s probe forged

The Senate has urged the security agents to unravel the alleged forgery of a letter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the instance of the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege.

Omo-Agege had at the weekend denied having instructed the Senate Clerk, Nelson Ayewoh, to write any letter to the EFCC seeking the probe of alleged involvement of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio in the N40 billion Fraud at the Niger Delta Development Commission.

It was learnt on Tuesday that the leadership of the upper chamber has asked some security agencies to Wade in and expose those who forged the letter head of its Clerk to do the letter to the EFCC.

It was further learnt that the Senate Clerk had to the Senate leadership that his letter head was forged by unknown persons to do the letter to the EFCC.

Relying on this information, the Senate leadership was said to have instructed some security agencies including the EFCC to investigate the actual source of the letter.

Omo-Agege in denying his authorisation for the letter had made it clear that a letter said to have emanated from the Clerk of the Senate, acting on his behalf and requesting the Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Mr Ibrahim Magu to investigate the Minister, was fake.

Omo-Agege’s statement, which was released to journalists on Sunday, reads: “The attention of the Office of the Deputy President of the Senate has been drawn to a letter dated 7th May, 2020, purportedly written by the Clerk of the Senate acting on behalf of the Office of Deputy President of the Senate requesting the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and monitor the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and one other.

“This Office hereby states that the said letter is false, fake, malicious, mischievous and vexatious.

“This Office never instructed the Clerk of the Senate, or in fact any person, to write to or contact the EFCC in relation to any person.

“In the light of the foregoing, we wish to urge the public to disregard the fake letter, same being the handiwork of a person or persons with criminal intents”.