Edo Election Tribunal: Okunbor not PDP’s Witness, Wanted for Alleged N6bn Fraud, Says EFCC 

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has maintained that one Mr Jonathan Okunbor, who is under investigation for alleged N6 billion fraud, is not a witness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the ongoing election petition tribunal in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

A statement released by the anti-graft agency claimed that the sum of N6 billion belonging to the state was diverted to Kezmith Global Ventures owned by Okunbor.

“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been drawn to a trending video insinuating that Mr. Jonathan Okunbor, a suspect being investigated for an alleged N6 billion fraud, was an election witness.  

“The commission wishes to state without any equivocation that Okunbor is not a witness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election tribunal as claimed by Mr. Asue Ighodalo.  Rather, he is a prime suspect connected to a case of misappropriation of funds involving all the 18 local government areas of Edo State,” the anti-graft agency said.

The statement signed by the Head, Media and Publicity, Mr Dele Oyewale, added that the suspect was running the ventures using the name and identity of one Mr. Godfrey Emode. 

The statement explained that the commission’s investigators, in their quest to unearth the alleged shadiness of Okunbor, arrested Emode who led them to the suspect in Eterno Hotel where a pre-trial meeting was being held.

“Investigators interrogated the counsel to Ighodalo on the status of Okunbor in the election tribunal matters and he clearly stated that he was not a witness in the matter.   

“In spite of this, Mr. Ighodalo and his co-travellers at Eterno Hotel prevented EFCC officers from carrying out their constitutional duty and obstructed them from arresting Okunbor.  Specifically, Ighodalo insisted that Okunbor was his witness when it was obvious that he only wanted to aid his escape from the commission’s investigators,” the statement read in part.

While reiterating its commitment to the rule of law, the commission submitted that it “has no business with any Edo State election witness that has no corruption charge before it”, adding that the agency will not hesitate to bring anyone to trial, “witness or no witness, if it has a basis for doing so”.

The EFCC however assured members of the public that Okunbor will be brought to book soon in connection with the alleged N6 billion fraud involving his firm, Kezmith Global Ventures.

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