The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, has announced the arrest of former Commissioner for Public Utilities in Ebonyi State, Benjamin Okah, who was accused by the state government of collecting N83 million naira gratification.
According to a statement by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, Okah was arrested on Monday after a petition by the state government over the $12 million contract to a United States-based company, Califco Group, which had been abandoned since 2012.
According to the state government, the contract was abandoned despite a mobilization of $10.8 million already paid by the state government into the accounts of the company.
EFCC said investigations also revealed that both the Abuja and Ebonyi state addresses of the said company were not genuine.
“It the course of investigation, it was discovered that the former Commissioner allegedly collected gratification from the company in the sum of N83 million between July 30, 2012 and December 30, 2014, through his companies: Global Victory Allied Company and Mahco Mega Nigeria Limited,” the statement released on Tuesday, read in part.