Nigeria: Former Minister Alleges Eno Instigated EFCC Probe of Ex-Akwa Ibom Governor

What the report says

Former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory John Akpanudoedehe has accused Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno of prompting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s case against former governor Udom Emmanuel and some of his former officials. The remarks were made in an interview over the weekend and reported by Premium Times, which said the allegations could not be independently verified at the time of publication.

The Akwa Ibom State Government strongly denied the claims, calling them false, reckless and unsubstantiated. In a statement issued through Information Commissioner Aniekan Umanah, the government said Eno had never reported Emmanuel to the EFCC and argued that the governor has generally sought political reconciliation, including keeping some officials from the previous administration and continuing inherited projects.

The dispute comes amid an ongoing EFCC investigation involving Emmanuel. Premium Times reported earlier in 2025 that the former governor was detained after appearing before the anti-graft agency over allegations including money laundering, diversion of funds and the alleged theft of N700 billion. The report also noted earlier claims around the withdrawal of Emmanuel’s security and the targeting of properties linked to him, although those allegations were not independently confirmed. The EFCC had not responded to questions from the newspaper by the time of filing, and Emmanuel’s aide declined to confirm or deny the accusations.