The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas and Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Pastor Johnson Ogunyemi, and three other principal officers.

The officers included the Secretary, Dr. Dele Durojaye, the Director of Finance, Sola Orisamoluwa, and the Director of Account, Vincent Ikuomola. It was learnt that the officials of the anti-graft agency stormed the headquarters of the commission yesterday afternoon and locked the main gate before heading to the chairman’s office.

The main gate was locked to prevent the movement of people into the compound while some police officers were assigned there. Officials of the anti-graft commission spent about three hours in the offices of the four officials before leaving with some files and documents.

One of the workers who spoke with The Guardian said the arrest of the officials may be connected with the failure of OSOPADEC to pay bursary to students for over two years.

He added that it may also be traced to the allegations of financial mismanagement and high level corruption among the officials of the commission.

Another member of staff of the commission said the arrest was a petition by interested stakeholders seeking explanation on the spending of the commission in the last eight years.

“The commission had failed to render financial records to the public in the last eight years and this might be one of the petitions against it before the EFCC,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the anti-graft agency has expressed worry over suspects accused of economic crimes sneaking out of the country even when their international passports had been seized.

EFCC, therefore, called for synergy with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to help track such suspects. The Head of its South South office, Ishaq Salilu, stated this yesterday while receiving the Comptroller of Immigration, Rivers State, A. B. Yarima, who was on a courtesy call. Salilu said the partnership would help check the activities of criminals in the country.

He added that the Nigeria Immigration Service being a crucial agency in the country would assist the EFCC to track fraudsters, who despite having their international passports seized by the commission still sneak out of the country through dubious means.“How they disappear remains a mystery to us,” he said. (Abosede Musari and Oluwaseun Akingboye/The Guardian)

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