Few weeks after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
granted administrative bail to the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, the agency is reportedly focussing on Obiano’s Chief of State, Mr. Primus Odili for possible arrest.
EFCC sources told The Authority that the commission was in the possession of bank details on how Odili reportedly used his position and closeness to the former governor to divert public funds running into billions of Naira.
The embattled former Chief of Staff is reportedly amassing a huge war chest to pursue a senatorial ambition on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
According to the sources who aren’t authorized to speak to the media, Mr. Odili, who was very visible in the Obiano administration, now maintains a very low profile. The EFCC agents reckon that the former Chief of Staff’s low profile may not be unconnected with his boss’s recent arrest.
“The usually loud and ubiquitous Chief of State has suddenly gone under the radar. Somehow, he feels that his former boss may have during interrogation, told us a lot of things to implicate him,” offered one of the sources.
Pressed to disclose details of the former governor’s session with them, the agent stated that several documents offered by whistle blowers at the Anambra Government House indicted the former governor and his Chief of Staff.
“We have forensically analyzed the bank and other financial documents supplied us by whistle blowers in their Government House vis-a- vis those of inflows from the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), and can tell you that a lot of water passed under the bridge,” he offered.
He listed Mr. Odili’s alleged involvement with drug dealers at the Onitsha Bridge Head market. The traders in each of the 36 rows of shops were reportedly paying N25 million into his account for six years.
Any row of shops that failed to pay the N25 million into his account was reportedly sanctioned by imposing caretaker leadership committees, he added.
The former Chief of Staff, it was also alleged, diverted COVID-19 cheques donated by individuals and the private sectors to the tune of N11,7 billion and converted same to foreign accounts for personal use.
Odili allegedly used the cover of foreign business trips in behalf of Anambra State government to buy himself property abroad valued at over $350 million. This is aside the ten percent kick back he reportedly collected from each construction company with projects within the state, running to close to N6 billion.
Not spared of Odili’s penchant for “returns” from political appointees and Transition Committee members of the twenty-one local government areas for seven years.
He was alleged to have also diverted budgetary allocations for Government House and Governor’s Lodge for over five years.
The Commission’s finding was said to be very telling, especially how Odili carried out certain financial transactions which ran against the grain of public interest.
An associate of the former Chief of Staff who was contacted to reach out to his friend, refused, insisting that Odili was indisposed. The associate, who didn’t want to be quoted stressed that his friend was innocent of all the allegations. He blamed the allegations on what he called the “Pull Him Down” syndrome, stressing that his friend was a devout Christian who wouldn’t steal public money.
