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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Mrs. Joy Enwa, the Accountant General of Delta State, as part of an ongoing probe into the alleged diversion of N1.3 trillion in state funds under the administration of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Sources reveal that the EFCC is investigating claims that the funds, which were part of the 13% oil derivation allocation for resource-rich states, were misappropriated. In November, the anti-graft agency detained Okowa, who is also a former Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at its Port Harcourt office.
Okowa allegedly used his position as governor to amass assets worth N1.3 trillion, including shares in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas Company and investments in the oil sector.
The arrest of Mrs. Enwa, alongside other officials, adds to the EFCC’s efforts to uncover the full extent of the alleged financial improprieties. Among those detained and questioned were Ekeruche, a former Director of Finance and Administration (DFA), and the Director of Administration at Delta’s Government House. Both reportedly provided individual statements during their detention.
The controversy surrounding Delta State’s finances is not new. In 2015, Mrs. Enwa, then Deputy Accountant General, was implicated in a N369 million fraud case alongside her predecessor, Cyril Agbele, and others. The case, involving alleged collusion to embezzle state funds, was tied to the final days of the administration of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.
In April 2020, Okowa appointed Enwa as Delta State’s Accountant General, succeeding Agbele.
When contacted about her recent detention, Mrs. Enwa declined to comment, stating, “I am not the right source to confirm such a story. Reach out to the commission for details.”
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed her arrest and detention. “Yes, the Accountant General was arrested and detained for several days in connection with the ongoing investigation into former Governor Okowa. Other state officials were also detained but have since been released,” Oyewale stated.
The investigation has drawn public attention to alleged widespread corruption in Delta State during Okowa’s tenure and raises questions about financial accountability within oil-producing states..
