Date Published: 05/12/09

N3billion Rural Electrification Fraud: Elumelu, Others to remain in custody’—EFCC

Twenty-four hours after their arrest, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Chairman House Committee on Power and his two other colleagues are still in EFCC detention.

They are to remain there till Friday when they will be charged to court. The other two lawmakers are Chairman, House Committee on Power, Alhaji Mohammed Jibo and Chairman, House Committee on Rural Development, Hon. Paulinius Igwe. Femi Babafemi, EFCC spokesman, told P.M.NEWS this morning, that the three lawmakers, who had been playing a hide-and-seek game with the EFCC, have given useful information to operatives of the EFCC following their arrest.

According to Babafemi, the three lawmakers and Senator Nicolas Ugbani, Dr. Aliu Abdulahi, the Permanent Secretary, Power and Mr. Sam Gakpe would all be charged to court simultaneously. “But till then, they will be in our custody,” Babafemi said. Hon. Emeka Ikedioha, Chief Whip of House of Reps., this morning, said the arrest of Elumelu and two of their colleagues has thrown the House into serious confusion. “We are going to step in to see what can be done,” he said.

Ugbani was arrested last week over the N3 billion rural electrification project fraud. fraud. It was learnt that shortly after the senator’s arrest, Elumelu and Jibo went into hiding.