FBI List: Ihedioha Denies Odionyenma Sponsored His Election

Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State has denied that Chika Odionyema, one of the 77 suspected fraudsters listed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), sponsored his election.

Naija News recalls that the FBI in a press statement released in Los Angeles, California on Thursday by US attorney Nick Hanna, announced the arrest of 77 Nigerians in an ongoing investigation related to fraud cases.

The report also names Valentine Iro, 31, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, both Nigerian citizens as lead suspects in the case. It added that both individuals allegedly coordinated with others to launder the funds from victims.

It was, however, gathered that one of the suspect, Odionyenma, allegedly played a pivotal role in the emergence of Ihedioha as governor of Imo State.

Recall that the Imo governor had named the suspect as atop member of his inauguration committee.

Reacting in a statement on Monday, the Special Assistant to Governor on New Media, Izuchukwu Akwarandu, on Monday said those who were linking Odionyenma’s alleged fraud dealings to the governor were being “mischievous.”

He said as of the time Ihedioha appointed him into the committee that oversaw his inauguration, there was no fraud case hanging on his neck anywhere in the world.

According to Akwarandu, Ihedioha attended some of the programmes that Odionyenma organised because they were meant to empower the people.

He said, “He (Odionyenma) is an Imo State son and it was in that capacity that the governor attended the programmes that he organised.

“Moreover, those programmes were meant to empower the people and you know that the governor is a man of the people.

“It is important to note that as of the time the governor appointed him into the inauguration committee, there was no fraud case hanging around his (Odionyenma) neck anywhere in the world.”