Arewa Youths Forum blasts Akpabio’s Emefiele attack, call it a smoke screen

The Arewa Youths Forum has launched a scathing attack against Senator Godswill Akpabio, accusing him of using criticism of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele as a smokescreen to deflect attention from his own alleged corruption cases.

Reacting to Akpabio’s claim that the Tinubu administration can’t find any crime to charge Emefiele with, the northern youth group issued a statement signed by their Acting National Secretary, Isa Dangaziya.

The statement asserts that in a just society, individuals like Akpabio, facing corruption allegations, should be held accountable, not making public pronouncements.

The Arewa Youths specifically questioned Akpabio’s audacity to blame others for Nigeria’s economic woes, considering his own alleged plundering of Akwa Ibom’s resources and involvement in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) corruption scandal.

They challenged Akpabio to hide in shame, citing past statements by former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole implying his alleged wrongdoings were forgiven upon joining the party. They urged him to leave Emefiele alone and avoid using him for self-serving purposes.

“We are shocked by Akpabio’s attempt to shift blame for Nigeria’s economic hardship onto Emefiele, while he himself is among those who have allegedly enriched themselves at the nation’s expense,” the statement declared.

They highlighted Akpabio’s ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N40 billion fraud in the NDDC and his connection to other corruption allegations.

The Arewa Youths emphasized Akpabio’s past legal troubles, including an arrest for allegedly stealing N108.1 billion from Akwa Ibom state funds. They pointed out that Akpabio had previously cited health reasons to avoid EFCC questioning, adding that his recent criticism of Emefiele reeks of a classic deflection tactic.