Two human rights organizations, the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum and the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), have expressed strong disapproval of the arrest and detention of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The groups decried the arrest as an act of political persecution.
Okowa was arrested on Monday by the EFCC over allegations of embezzling N1.3 trillion of Delta State funds. According to PUNCH Online, the EFCC claims Okowa misused these funds during his tenure as governor. However, both the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum and IHRC believe these accusations to be politically motivated.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday, Joseph Kpokpogri, the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum and Board Member of the IHRC, criticized the EFCC’s approach. Kpokpogri urged the commission to grant Okowa bail on self-recognition, pointing out that Okowa had cooperated with authorities by voluntarily presenting himself to the EFCC office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. This, he argued, was in stark contrast to the defiant behavior exhibited by former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who has resisted multiple attempts by the EFCC to arrest him.
Kpokpogri further asserted that the alleged embezzlement of N1.3 trillion would imply that no significant achievements were made during Okowa’s eight-year tenure, including unpaid salaries, unbuilt roads, and unfunded hospitals. He questioned the plausibility of such a large sum disappearing, considering the state’s total federal and internally generated revenues.
He also pointed to the potential political motives behind the charges, suggesting that the aim was to undermine the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and weaken its support in Delta State. Kpokpogri emphasized that if this was indeed the objective, it had “woefully failed.”
The Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum and IHRC have vowed to protest against the alleged political persecution if the EFCC fails to substantiate its claims. The groups have even threatened to occupy the EFCC’s Regional Office in Port Harcourt in support of Okowa.
This case continues to attract attention, with debates intensifying over the motivations behind the charges and the fairness of the legal process.