By Okeke Eunice
Former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has been placed under the watch of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Honourable Fm has learned.
Sources also revealed that the anti-corruption agency has begun investigating transactions, including contracts awarded during Obaseki’s time in office.
Obaseki, who completed his eight-year tenure on November 12, previously claimed that the EFCC was preparing to arrest him shortly after he left office.
Meanwhile, his successor, Monday Okpebholo, has set up a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to scrutinize Obaseki’s administration.
On November 2, the EFCC arrested five officials from the Edo State government who served under Obaseki, including the Accountant General, Julius Anelu, over allegations of significant withdrawals from the state treasury within a short time.
However, on November 8, Obaseki stated that he was not afraid of an EFCC investigation.
The former governor expressed his willingness to cooperate with the anti-corruption agency and provide a full account of his time in office.
However, senior sources within the commission, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking about the matter, stated that, so far, the majority of the transactions during Obaseki’s tenure have not been directly connected to him.
The source explained, “An investigation is underway into his administration. He cannot be invited until the investigation reaches a certain stage. A team of experienced investigators has been assigned to the case and is working to uncover some of the transactions, including contracts awarded during his time in office.
“Most of the transactions cannot be traced directly to him. He relied on others. There have been leads that we are following, and we hope to uncover something significant.”
When asked if Obaseki had been placed on a watchlist, another source clarified that while it is not limited to Obaseki, all former governors are routinely watchlisted by the commission.
“All former governors are always on the commission’s watchlist, regardless of whether we have ongoing cases with them or not. We cannot allow them to leave the country and then begin pursuing them when we need them. That’s why they’re all placed on the watchlist,” the source said.
Attempts to contact Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, were unsuccessful, as calls went unanswered and he had not responded to a text message at the time of this report.