Former Edo State Governor, Lucky Igbinedion, on Monday appeared at the offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos and was subsequently deatined.
He may be arraigned on Wednesday on allegations of corruption, money laundering, and economic sabotage.The EFCC alleged that he committed the offences while in office.
Igbinedion arrived Nigeria on Sunday from abroad, and submitted himself for questioning on Monday, as he had promised.
He drove into the office of the EFCC in Ikoyi, Lagos at 12.50 p.m., accompanied by his lawyer, Richard Ahuomorogho, aides, political associates, and relatives.
The EFCC had previously declared him wanted, and filed 141 charges against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“Yes, Igbinedion is here,” an official of the EFCC confirmed. “He came in this afternoon. He signed our register for visitors and requested to see us. We are asking him some questions, which relate to the allegations against him.
“We do not know how long he will stay with us. So, we cannot tell you that we will release him at so and so time. We cannot really tell you he has said anything so far. At the appropriate time, we will make an official statement on his visitation.”
Another source disclosed he would be charged to court within 24 or 48 hours of his detention.
The law says any one arrested must be charged to court within 24 hours, but the EFCC has argued that in special circumstances when investigation is not completed within the time allowed by law, the suspect can be detained indefinitely.
It was gathered later that Igbinedion�s casefile was returned to the EFCC by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) by about 8.30pm Monday and efforts were being made, as at the press time, to ensure arraignment on Wednesday. The number of charges had, reportedly, been scaled down to 105 from 141.
Before the return of the casefile, it was being speculated that he may be kept much longer in custody because Chief Justice Idris Kutigi is not available to allocate the case file to a Judge.
It was learnt that Igbinedion had called the EFCC office to intimate the operatives of his presence in the country, and his willingness to defend the charges.
He was advised to report at the Lagos office, whereupon he boarded the next flight to Lagos, where he was confronted with the allegations.
Igbinedion reportedly fumed against the EFCC for declaring him wanted when there was no formal invitation to him to defend himself against any wrong doing.
He was said to have insisted that between June 2007, when he was initially invited, and the time the bench warrant was issued on him, the EFCC never invited him, nor was any charge formally levelled against him.
One of his aides also said he was not under any travel restriction.
Therefore, as Igbinedion himself reportedly told the EFCC, “it was shocking and embarrassing to be declared wanted when I was not formally invited at any given point in time.”
The aide said this was why the man decided to come up to answer to the allegations.
As Igbinedion�s interrogation was going on, former Anambra State Governor, Chris Ngige, drove into the premises at 2.00 p.m.
He drove himself in an unmarked black Mercedes Benz, accompanied by a mobile police attache. His aides followed him in another vehicle.
Ngige said: “I came here to sign some documents.”
This was corroborated by an EFCC official who explained that “he comes here regularly. It is not as if one has a case with the EFCC that he would be arrested when he comes here. Any one could have come for co-operation with his investigating police officer (IPO). He could do that at any time.”
Also on Monday, the Federal High Court in Lagos granted bail to former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, who is being prosecuted by the EFCC.
He faces 51 charges of fraud, money laundering, illegal diversion of public funds, and economic sabotage, allegedly committed when he was Governor.
In granting the bail, Justice Tijani Abubakar said he considered the fact that Fayose voluntarily submitted himself to the EFCC after he was declared wanted.
He ruled that the bail be backed by two sureties resident in Lagos, and who have landed property in the city. Each is to deposit N50 million.
Fayose was asked to submit all his travel documents to the court registrar.
The case was adjourned to February 27.