EFCC arrests governor brother, others over alleged N400m campaign funds

Umahi denies allegation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the National Vice Chairman (South East) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Austin Umahi, and two others over an alleged N400 million campaign fund fraud relating to the re-election bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan last year.

Austin, who is Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi’s brother, was arrested alongside Chinyere Egwuche and Mabel Dikibo.

The suspects, according to the ant-graft agency, are all staff members of Brass Engineering and Construction Nigeria and Osbom La-Palm Royal Resort allegedly linked to the governor.

A statement from EFCC’s Media Officer in Enugu, Chris Oluka, said the arrest followed their “refusal to honour invitation by the agency for questioning in an ongoing investigation involving both companies.”

The statement added: “While Austin Umahi doubles as chairman of both companies, Chinyere Egwuche and Marbel Dikibo are also signatories to the companies’ accounts.

“Investigations by the commission revealed that the sum of N400, 000, 000 was released by the Director of Finance, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, to PDP Ebonyi State for the 2015 presidential election, but the said fund was moved from Fidelity Bank, Abakaliki on the 27th of March 2015 where it was initially deposited to an Access Bank account, where one Maxwell Umahi further moved N100, 000,000 and N300, 000,000 into the accounts of Brass Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited and Osborn La-Palm Royal Resort.”