By Ken Afor
Sequel to notice by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declaring Olu Agunloye, a former Minister of State for Power wanted for an alleged $6 billion fraud, the agency on Tuesday confirmed he has been taken into custody.
According to a source within the anti-graft agency familiar with the development, Agunloye has been in detention since about a week ago.
“He has been with the EFCC since December 13th,” the source said. “But it was not made public,” Channels Television quoting the source.
It would be recalled that on last Wednesday, December 13, Agulonye was declared wanted by the EFCC, due to his alleged involvement in a $6 billion fraud connected to the contentious Mambilla hydropower project.
“The public is hereby notified that Olu Agunloye, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of corruption and forgery,” the agency wrote on its social media platforms.
Meanwhile, the EFCC in its notice urged members of the public with valuable information regarding Agunloye’s whereabouts to reach out to its offices.
Recall in September, the EFCC had already interrogated the former minister regarding the identical matter.
Agunloye served as a minister during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration from 1999 to 2003. He found himself embroiled in a contentious situation regarding the Mambilla project.
Meanwhile, the former president had alleged that Agunloye had unlawfully granted the project contract without obtaining the necessary approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
But, Agunloye vehemently refuted these allegations and asserted that the former president was manipulating the truth.
