Ortom reacts to manhunt by EFCC, says nothing to hide

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By Lateef Taiwo

Immediate past Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom has reacted to the media report that some detachments of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials may have laid siege on him for arrest.

Some sections of the online media had it Monday morning that officials of the EFCC arrived Makurdi, the Benue State capital Sunday night, allegedly working on the invitation of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, with intention to arrest Ortom.

“The plan is to use EFCC to arrest Governor Ortom as soon as he loses immunity today (29th May, 2023) and take him to Abuja where he will be later transferred to Lagos and tortured severely”, the media had revealed.

The report also went further to reveal that, “a team of EFCC officials was covertly deployed from Abuja to Benue State, yesterday, the 28th of May, without the knowledge of the commission’s Makurdi office who they feared might leak the plot to Governor Ortom.

“The team was reportedly given the express mandate to invade Ortom’s house and ransack the residence to pick him up”.

Reacting to the report, Mr. Terver Akase, Media Aide to Ortom, said there was no cause for worry as his Principal had nothing to hide.

“We read some online reports which stated that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has deployed a team of its officers to Benue State to arrest and detain the immediate past Governor of the State, Samuel Ortom over unfounded allegations.

“While we doubt the authenticity of the reports, it is pertinent to state categorically that His Excellency Samuel Ortom has nothing to hide and will be available if and whenever the EFCC invites him.

“Governor Ortom has repeatedly said that he ran a transparent administration and is willing to honour the invitation of any anti-corruption agency that wants to get clarifications on operations of his administration”, Akase said.

Dr. Samuel Ortom, on Sunday, 28th May, 2023 presented his handover notes to the new Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Allia in Old Banquet Hall, Makurdi, having served as Governor for eight years.

The new Governor is currently being inaugurated at the IBB Square, Makurdi.

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