By CrossRiverWatch Admin
Operatives from the South South Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in Port Harcourt raided the Calabar home of governor Ben Ayade yesterday in continuation of investigation into allegations that the Governor’s younger brother, Dr. Frank Ayade may have perpetrated some shady deals in relation to the project.
The operatives who arrived the governor’s homes at Duke Town Close in Calabar by some minutes to 3pm came in company of the Dr. Frank Ayade who led the operatives to conduct a search in the Governor’s residence in search of documents related to the garment factory.
A source in the governor’s house confirmed to CrossRiverWatch that: “The operatives were quite many in number. While some led Dr. Frank into the house to conduct a search, others waited outside for obvious reasons. The search lasted for less than one hour and the drove out with Dr. Frank again. Everyone here was quite worried. We got information about their coming before they arrived but everyone here is worried about what is going on.” The source who did not want to be named said.
There are reports that the EFCC operatives went back to Port Harcourt with Dr. Frank Ayade while some say the search continues today in other locations in Calabar and outside Calabar but CrossRiverWatch was unable to confirm that information independently.
An EFCC official from the South West who is investigating the matter in Port Harcourt also told CrossRiverWatch on the phone yesterday that “the Commission is investigating several petitions that have been written about the shady transactions that were done in relation to the Cross River Garment factory and other related matters in your state.
“If you say you are a practicing journalist in your state you should be conversant with the matters because I know that many people are talking about the issue in your state. I am not authorized to speak on the matter and the matter is still under investigation so that is the only thing I will say for now.”
The EFCC Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren did not take his calls to comment on the matter and text messages to his phone about the development were also not responded to as at the time of filing this report.
Government sources were also very unwilling to comment on the matter as some of the government officials contacted were quick to distance themselves from the development.
It will be recalled that CrossRiverWatch reported that the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Peter Egba and Accountant General, Joseph Adie spent a chunk of the first week of August at the Port Harcourt office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) answering questions concerning the Cross River Garment Factory.
It is alleged that there is no clear definition as to the ownership and financing of the project with allegations rife that some government officials and the governor’s brother, Dr. Frank Ayade, cooked books and documents for it to pass as credible.