The anti graft agency Economic and Financial Crime Commission-EFCC has finally obtained from High Court arrest warrant against four officers in Rivers state government whose names have published in national Newspapers including the photographs of the four serving officers in the Government of Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. The foursome Mr. Fubara Siminayi a 45 years old Director of Finance at Rivers state Government House Port Harcourt, Ms Harrisonba Bessi Princewill a 58 old Cashier, Lekia Bukpor is a 61 years old staff of Ministry of Finance in Rivers state and Dagogo Rodderick Abere 58 years old staff of Ministry of finance are alleged to have made multiples cash withdrawals in tranches of ten Million naira via 45 and 50 bank cheques totaling five hundred Million naira daily culminating to total sum of One Hundred and Seventeen Billion naira surreptitiously withdrawn in cash against the laid down banking rules and procedures. They are wanted over criminal charges of criminal conspiracy, money laundering, Misappropriation of public funds, and abuse of office to the tune of N117B which took place from June 2015 to 2018.
EFCC Head of Media and Publicity Wilson Uwujaren who signed the public announcement declared them wanted with serious alert for any members of the public who sees them at any where “having useful information as to their whereabouts should contact the Commission in its Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Maiduguri and Abuja offices or through these numbers 08093322644(0809EFCC NIG), 08183322644(0818 EFCC NIG) Its Email address: info@efccnigeria.org or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies”.
But the Rivers state Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has directed the concerned officers not to respond to EFCC invitation saying that Rivers state Government under ex Governor Dr. Peter Odili obtained a Perpetual Court Injunction restraining EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission-ICPC and any other security agencies in Nigeria not to arrest or detain Rivers state officers over financial impropriety since 2007 which had not been vacated by superior court of Competent jurisdiction in Nigeria.
What baffled security investigators were the swift manner in which on June 8 and June 9th 2015over 45 Zenith Bank Cheques belonging to Rivers state government were withdrawn in cash of N450m and another N500m withdrawn he next day barely 8-days in office without being accompanied with usual project requisitions for appropriation.