By Doris ABRAHAM
Simbi Kesiye Wabote, the former Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with a $35 million fraud related to the Brass Project.
Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for the EFCC, confirmed Wabote’s arrest on Thursday, following a similar arrest of Mr. Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Private Limited, who is accused of theft, money laundering, and misappropriation of $35 million in public funds.
Wabote, who served as the NCDMB Executive Secretary from 2016 to 2023, was questioned by the EFCC regarding his role in the mismanagement of funds intended for the Brass Project. According to sources within the EFCC, Wabote’s responses during the preliminary questioning raised concerns, prompting further investigation into the case.
The EFCC’s inquiry revealed that Wabote, in his capacity as Executive Secretary of NCDMB, authorized a payment of $35 million to Akindele for the development of an energy infrastructure park in the Okpoama Community, Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. The project was to include a 2000 barrel per day refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data center, and tank farm at the Brass Free Trade Zone (FTZ).
However, despite receiving the payment in December 2020, Akindele allegedly abandoned the project, leaving little to show for the substantial sum of public funds. Investigations have uncovered that under Wabote’s leadership, NCDMB financed a total of 17 different projects, including the Brass Free Trade Zone initiative, which was meant to boost energy infrastructure in the region.
The EFCC’s ongoing investigation aims to uncover the full extent of the fraud and bring those responsible to justice. Wabote’s passport has been seized by the EFCC as part of the inquiry, which continues to examine his role in the mismanagement of funds intended for vital infrastructure development in Nigeria.