The Edo State Government has confirmed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently detained five senior officials from the State Treasury Office, including Accountant General Julius Anelu, regarding a Central Bank-backed agricultural loan the state reports as fully repaid.
The summons, dated October 28, 2024, was addressed to the Secretary to the State Government, focusing on loan facilities provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) from 2018 onward.
The officials voluntarily appeared at the EFCC’s Benin office on Thursday. However, sources report that after discovering one of the officials was no longer a signatory to the government accounts, the EFCC detained the current signatory instead, adding them to the group already held in custody in Abuja.
These detentions are reportedly scheduled to last until November 12—the end date of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration—leading to concerns about a deliberate attempt to disrupt governance in Edo State.
Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, criticized the EFCC’s actions, describing them as an attempt to destabilize Edo State’s operations.
He called for the immediate release of the officials, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to transparency and underscoring the significance of maintaining stability as the government approaches its final weeks in office.
The Edo State Government expressed deep concerns that these prolonged detentions could impede essential government functions and compromise the administration’s ability to meet its obligations to the public.
