Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arrested the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere, for alleged diversion of funds to the tune of N47 billion through registered contractors of the agency.
The contracts were allegedly awarded between 2017 and 2019.
This is according to the Commission’s spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren who confirmed it to Channels Television.
There were some reports, however, that Nsima Ekere got wind of a close up on him by EFCC and voluntarily reported at the Lagos office of the commission, where he was subsequently detained.
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The former NDDC boss was the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Akwa Ibom in the 2019 elections. He also lost the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary election to Governor Emmanuel Udom in 2015.
Nsima Ekere, 56, was the agency’s Managing Director between 2016 and 2018.
The 56-year-old is being investigated over allegations of contract inflation and the award of fictitious contracts during his time in office.
Ekere, who allegedly committed the offences starting in 2017, according to sources, allegedly laundered funds from NDDC accounts through contractors to buy choice properties in Lagos.
