EFCC visits Sterling Bank, grills Udenwa over campaign funds

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu

Akinpelu Dada and Eniola Akinkuotu

The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday stormed the headquarters of Sterling Bank Plc in Lagos for an undisclosed investigation.

One of our correspondents gathered that the operatives of the anti-graft agency quizzed the Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Yemi Adeola, for over two hours, but the details were not disclosed.

When contacted on the development, officials of the bank refused to confirm or deny the visit by the EFCC operatives.

As of 9pm on Wednesday, the anti-graft agency had yet to give any explanation for its action.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has interrogated a former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, for allegedly receiving N350m from the Director of Finance, Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman.

The money was said to have emanated from the account of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

About N4bn was deposited into the account of Usman who then disbursed the money to several politicians during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

According to sources at the EFCC, both Udenwa and a former Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, got N350m in two tranches.

The first tranche of N150m was allegedly paid into their joint account with Zenith bank on January 13, 2015 while the second tranche of N200m was credited into their account with Diamond Bank.

A reliable source at the anti-graft agency confirmed to our correspondent on the telephone that Udenwa was quizzed but added that he had since been released.

“Udenwa was invited on Tuesday and was quizzed for several hours. He was, however, released around 9pm and he cooperated fully with us,” he said.

Udenwa, while speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, confirmed that he was questioned by EFCC detectives.

He also said he received N350m but stated that the money was used solely for the purpose of campaigning for Jonathan.

“I was not arrested by the EFCC. I simply honoured an invitation. I told them what I have always said. During the build-up to the election, we opened a joint account and N350m was paid into the account and the money was used for the campaign.

“We did not embezzle the money. The money was well managed.”

The PUNCH had reported in March that Usman, on the instructions of a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, transferred different sums of money to several individuals and interest groups during the build-up to the last general elections.

Usman allegedly transferred money to several persons through the bank account of a company, Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited.

Through the said account, the Director of Publicity of the Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, received N840m.