Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, the powerful sister of Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime and until lately Chief of Staff to the Governor, has landed into the net of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) barely days after she resigned to seek the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the Enugu East Senatorial Seat. The zone is currently represented in the Senate by Senator Gil Nnaji.
Mrs. Nwobodo was allegedly arrested yesterday in Abuja by ICPC operatives over alleged fraud.
“The arrest came on the heel of a recent arrest of five council chairmen in Enugu State, who were nabbed over allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds,” reports Vanguard.
The paper quotes competent sources as disclosing that the arrest of the woman widely regarded as the unofficial deputy governor of Enugu State “might be connected with some fraudulent discoveries in the state.”
Mrs. Nwobodo was said to have been nabbed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by men of the ICPC.
“Governor Sullivan Chime was reported to have stormed Abuja, making frantic efforts to intervene,” says Vanguard.
According to the paper, “The arrest of the local government chairmen followed a petition to the Inspector-General of Police by Enugu West Peoples Forum entitled ‘Looting and Fraudulent Diversion of Public Funds by Local Government Chairmen in Enugu State’.
“The petitioners had accused the council chairmen of alleged diversion of N10 million of their respective allocations in the past 10 months, totalling about N450 million.
“The arrested chairmen include those of the Awgu Local Government Council, Mr. Nnanna Nze; Aninri Chairman, Mr. Nwabueze Nwobodo; Ezeagu, Chairman, Mr. Emeka Ozoagu; Oji-River, Mr. Onyemaechi Jideofor; and Udi, Mr. Chinedu Iloeje.”
•Photo shows Ifeoma Nwobodo.
NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.