I am sick, undergoing treatment abroad -Akpabio writes EFCC

Senator Godswill Akpabio has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he could not honor its invitation because of ill health and already arranged medical appointments overseas.

The EFCC had summoned Akpabio, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, over an allegation of abuse of office and misappropriation of billions of Naira.

The EFCC in an invitation letter served on Akpabio asked him to appear at its office on the 29th day of March 2023.

However, Akpabio failed to show up and wrote to EFCC via his lawyer Umel Kalu, SAN.

The letter from Akpabio’s lawyer said: “We write to convey our client’s inability to honor the scheduled visit to your office on the 29th day of March 2022, due to ill health and already arranged medical appointment overseas.

 “As mentioned in our last letter to you dated February 10, 2023, our client is undergoing treatment for pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia, and, has recently been advised to seek further attention abroad.”

There had been allegations of N40 billion fraud perpetrated in the NDDC, a ministry that was headed by Akpabio for three years.

The Senate and the House of Representatives in 2020 resolved to probe the alleged N40 billion financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC in the previous three months.

Also, there were allegations of over N86 billion contract scams involving the senator-elect and the former Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC has been looking into.

The anti-graft agency had in the past arrested Akpabio over the alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds.