BREAKING: N80.2 Billion Fraud: Two wanted Kogi gov’t officials surrender to EFCC

Two Kogi State government officials who were declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in connection with N80.2 billion fraud have surrendered on Monday.

The officials, Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Shuaibu Oricha reported themselves to the EFCC at the headquarters of EFCC in the early hours of Monday.

They claimed that they got know about ‘wanted declaration’ following media reports that they were declared wanted by the EFCC in an ex parte order by a Federal Court in Abuja.

Last week, the officials who served and coordinated funds for the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello were ordered to be arrested by the Federal High Court over allegations of suspicious financial transactions.

The order to arrest Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Shuaibu Oricha was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite last Tuesday in a motion ex parte filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and marked as suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/909/2024.

The officials in a statement on Monday said, “their decision to report at the EFCC is to explain their position in respect of the allegation by the EFCC as law abiding citizens of the country voluntarily despite not receiving any warrant or invitation from the anti-corruption agency or any of its representatives.

“The EFCC’s motion which was reported by the media had said one of its investigating officers, Audu Abubakar is investigating allegations of corruption against the two officials.”

At the time of this report, the two officials of the Kogi State government, Abdulsalami Hudu, the former cashier at the Kogi State Government House and Umar Shuaibu Oricha, the Director General of Government House Administration were seen at the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja.

Meanwhile, the former governor, Yahaya Bello who was declared wanted by the EFCC in connection with the same N80.2 billion fraud has gone underground since then.