Sacked maritime boss arrested by EFCC over multi-billion naira fraud

Sacked Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi has reportedly been arrested by the Economic Electoral Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misappropriation of funds during his tenure.

Akpobolokemi,who was fired by President Muhammadu Buhari penultimate week, was said to have been picked up by officials of the anti-graft agency earlier today, July 30.

"He was taken in this morning around 10 a.m. Some of our other officials have also been summoned while EFCC operatives have been conducting discreet investigation here. There is tension everywhere. One of our people just returned from EFCC and he told me the former DG is still there, sweating profusely as he was being questioned by investigators." a top maritime official told Premium Times.

According to report, EFCC operatives stormed the NIMASA head office and interrogated some officials over contracts awarded by Akpobolokemi during the last administration.

"For instance, they wanted to know how a whopping N13 billion was spent on the acquisition of land for the permanent site of the Nigerian Maritime University in Delta. They also asked about other transactions they believed were fraudulent, including transfers of millions of dollars from NIMASA accounts to other accounts.” the source added

The ex-maritime boss' arrest was confirmed by a source at the EFCC, who affirmed that Akpobolokemi is with the agency, "but I don’t have details about the case against him or what investigators are asking him."