Ex-gov Udom Emmanuel breaks silence over EFCC invitation for alleged ₦700bn fraud
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Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, has dismissed reports suggesting that he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He clarified that his visit to the anti-corruption agency was a routine engagement and not an indictment.
Reports had emerged that Emmanuel was taken into EFCC custody on Tuesday, March 4, over allegations of mismanaging ₦700 billion during his tenure from 2015 to 2023.
However, his media aide, Stephen Abia, has refuted the claims, insisting that the former governor was neither detained nor charged with any wrongdoing.
In a statement, Abia described Emmanuel’s visit as a standard procedure, urging the public not to misinterpret the development.
“Udom Emmanuel honoured the invitation by the EFCC,” Abia stated.
“This he did seamlessly in his undaunted spirit of patriotism and sense of responsibility.”
He further criticised media reports framing the invitation as an arrest, arguing that such narratives were being pushed by political opponents.
"An invitation is not a conviction,” Abia emphasised.
"But a section of the media, egged on by Mr Emmanuel’s traducers and political adversaries, has made the invitation seem like he was convicted.”
He urged the public to differentiate between responding to an invitation and being arrested, stating, “Dispassionate minds need to note the elementary distinctions between an invitation and honouring same, and an arrest which demands some legal mechanics.”
Emmanuel’s visit to the EFCC reportedly lasted a day before he returned home.
The agency has yet to release an official statement on the matter.
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