Details of how former Abia State governor, Theodore Orji, and his sons allegedly fleeced the state of billions have emerged after the investigators of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) traced billions of unaccounted funds to their accounts.
LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that following a petition dated March 17, 2017, filed by Fight Corruption: Save Nigeria Group, alleging that the former Abia governor received and diverted various sums of monies that accrued to the state, EFCC uncovered more during the ongoing investigation.
According to the petition, monies diverted include N383 billion revenue from federal accounts, N55 billion Excess Crude Revenue, N2.3 billion Sure – P, N1.8 billion Ecological Funds, N10.5 billion loan from First Bank of Nigeria through the ministry of chieftaincy and local government affairs.
Others are N4 billion loan from Diamond Bank, N12 billion Paris Club refund, N2 billion agricultural loan for farmers and N55 billion ASOPADEC.
Our correspondent discovered that in the course of investigation, it was discovered that the former governor who was a chief of staff to the convicted ex-governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu was the authorising officer drawing N500 million monthly purported to be security vote which were being converted.
As he became the governor in 2007, he continued to draw the N500 million cash monthly from June 2007 to May 2015.
The N500 million, investigation revealed, is aside of the security funds expended on the Nigerian Police, The Nigerian Army, DSS, Navy anti-Kidnapping Squad, anti- robbery squad, purchase of security equipment and vehicles for the security agencies.
The EFCC extended the investigation to his family members to ascertain their link and culpability in the alleged fraud.
The investigation uncovered that the ex-governor’s first son, Chinedum Orji Eyinanya, who is currently the speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly is now a frequent guest at the EFCC headquarters to throw light on his involvement in the fraud. A check on his financial activities revealed that he had about 100 accounts in different banks, with over 80 per cent of the accounts still very active. The accounts which were both corporate and Individual received so much deposit in cash without evidence of job or services rendered.
Fotoworld has several other accounts with FBN. The accounts and deposits are: 2026144229, $84, 000 cash deposit between 2014 and 2015; between 2012 and 2015, account number 2022025764 housed N342, 573, 056.50; Account number 2022025939 between November 2012 and July 2015, received a deposit of 1, 689, 320.89 Pounds Sterling.
The GTB account 0039060117 of the same company housed N88, 300, 000 between February 2009 and July 2014.
Fotoworld Industry Limited, with GTB account number 2022025805, also traced to Chinedum, received a deposit of $20, 849, 044.21. Same company with account number 2022025764 in First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) received a cumulative deposit of N362, 573, 056.50.
The same company, Fotoworld, has several other accounts with FBN. The accounts and deposits are: 2026144229 with $84, 000 cash deposit between 2014 and 2015; between 2012 and 2015, account number 2022025764 with the same bank housed N342, 573, 056.50; Account number 2022025939 with the same bank, between November 2012 and July 2015 received a deposit of 1, 689, 320.89 Pounds Sterling.
Exact Construction Limited, traced to Chinedum,is believed to have no record of any construction work in the country.The company received humongous deposits in the Keystone Bank where an account was opened. Between October 2008 and February 2015, the company’s account number 005374800 had deposits of N1, 188, 924, 190.41.
The GTB account 0039060117 of the same company housed N88, 300, 000 between February 2009 and July 2014.
FBN account number, 2008232908 also received lodgement of N599, 771, 424.25 between January 2011 and June 2016; account number, 200823298 had N731, 135, 357.04 between 2007 and 2016.
Fotofast Industry Limited is another company registered by the first family to siphon the resources of the state. Several accounts were opened in FBN by the company. The sum of N20, 861, 165.95 entered into the FBN account number, 2014629152 between 2011 and 2017. Between 2011 and 2016, another N223, 929, 515.37 was lodged in Fotofast’s account number, 2015559102 domiciled in FBN.
Other lodgements in different Fotofast Industry Limited accounts with FBN are: account number, 2014629152, N4, 103, 574, 603.59; account number 2015559102, N223, 929, 515.37; account number, 2005428513 had N1, 719, 939, 006.77 between 2007 and 2015; account number, 2015559102 had N273, 941, 436.47. Between 2011 and 2015, FBN account number, 2014668964, received the sum of N64, 898, 657.77.
Several accounts were also opened in GTB by Fotofast Industry Limited. They include: account number 0040777462 which received deposits of N425, 606, 131.71 between 2002 and 2009; account number, 0040777479 received N71, 815, 987 between 2002 and 2008; account number, 0040777486 had N23, 463, 880 between 2008 and 2010, while N158, 499, 815 was the deposit in the GTB account number 0040777493. Another N50 million was lodged in GTB account number 0039691058.
Another personal account of the Speaker is the FCMB account number, 3237996011 with N384, 914, 501.50 between 2016 and 2019; another N205, 508, 500 in FCMB account number, 3237996028 between 2016 and 2019.
Another FBN account number of the son, 2024073408 also received $601, 716.62 between 2013 and 2015. His FBN account number, 2014435973 also had N153, 943, 822.01 between 2009 and 2016. Another N153, 000, 000 was deposited in account number 2014435973. His Access Bank account number, 0023390147 had N178, 389, 547.25 between 2011 and 2019 and another $48, 000 in the same bank account number, 0029937780 in 2010.
Cheetah Press Limited is another concern of the ex governor’s son now Speaker of the state assembly. The company with FBN account number, 2006413367 had deposits of N1, 083, 731, 890.93 between 2007 and 2017. In Union Bank, the same company had a deposit of N430, 980, 632.18 in account number, 0034400341 (This account had consistent cash lodgement to the said amount).
Cheetah’s Standard Chartered account number, 000171072 had N42, 009, 795.36 between 2011 and 2016. In GTB account number, 0107577738, N241, 059074. 24 was traced to Cheetah Press between 2011 and 2016, and another N966, 041, 454 between 2011 and 2016. In UBA alone, Cheetah’s account number, 1015210129 had N143, 851, 800 between 2010 and 2018; while account number 1008016040 had N2, 226, 458, 581.35 between 2016 and 2020. Yet another UBA account number, 1011361993 of Cheetah had N782, 694, 255.77 between 2007 and 2019.
Analysis of several other accounts are still ongoing.
The speaker, Abia State House of Assembly was with operatives of the Commission on Thursday, February 5, 2020, in continuation of the investigation.
When the acting spokesperson of the EFCC, Tony Orilade was called to react to the story, he confirmed and said investigation was still ongoing.
(Leadership Newspaper)
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