Oshiomhole to probe ex-governor for alleged theft of $31M

The Edo State government has begun an investigation into the administration of former Governor, Lucky Igbinedion over the alleged looting of $31 million from the state’s treasury.

This was disclosed on Wednesday, November 4, 2015, via a statement released by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Peter Okhiria.

According to the statement, details of the probe were revealed by the Commissioner for Information, Louis Odion, at the end of the State Executive Council meeting.

“There is the issue of a fraud that was discovered while looking into our books. We found that $31m was fraudulently taken from the state coffers under the administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion. The comrade governor has directed the Attorney-General to commence a legal action in that direction,” Odion said.

“So, in the coming days, the state government will take a legal action to ensure that what was stolen from the Edo State Government is recovered. When you convert $31m to naira, it fetches you a whopping N7bn. You can imagine what N7bn will do in improving the human condition in Edo State,” he added.

In April 2015, a Federal High Court in Benin, the state capital, sentenced Lucky’s brother, Michael to six years in prison for laundering N25 billion in state funds.

The former governor’s aide, Patrick Eboigbodin was also sentenced by the same court to 20 years in prison.

READ: Igbinedion's TV station burns to the ground in Benin

Lucky Igbinedion was governor Edo from May 1999 to May 2007.

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