Igbinedion faces EFCC next Monday - Says he was not in hiding

By Idowu Samuel - 15.01.2008

FORMER governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, is set to return to Nigeria and give himself up to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The former governor, who has vowed to appear before the EFCC next Monday, said he would be facing the commission to prove his innocence about the allegations of corruption levelled against him by the commission.

Igbinedion was declared wanted last week by the EFCC after obtaining a warrant of arrest signed by the Federal High Court in Abuja on allegation that he misappropriated N2.9 billion while in office.

On the strength of the allegation, the Federal Government had slammed a 142-count charge on Igbinedion and asked Interpol to help arrest him.

Igbinedion disclosed his intention to appear before the EFCC in a letter submitted to the commission by his lawyer, Abdullahi Ibrahim (SAN).

He was unhappy with the commission for subjecting the allegations against him to what he called a media hype, stating that the commission had tried him in absentia and found him guilty.

He said he felt embarrassed by his trial on the pages of newspapers and also saddened by the turn of events, stressing that he could not comprehend the manner by which a “surreptitious bench warrant” was issued for his arrest.

The former governor said the charges were preferred against him in bad faith, stressing that he never believed that the idea of his trial by the EFCC could be anchored on the media.

Igbinedion’s letter, which was submitted by the former Minister of Justice to the EFCC at about 9.30 a.m on Monday, disclosed that he had once travelled out of Nigeria and had to return abruptly to address similar allegations levelled against him by the EFCC.

He said the incident occurred on June 14, 2007 when he was accused of corrupt practices by the EFCC after travelling out of Nigeria and that this was extensively reported by the media.

According to him, he had to cut short his trip abroad to appear before the commission to debunk the allegations made against him.