EFCC Arrests, Detains Former House Of Reps Speaker, Patricia Etteh

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly arrested and detained a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh.

Naija News understands Etteh who was the Speaker of the House between June 6, 2007, and 30 October 30, 2007, was arrested in Abuja on Tuesday by operatives of the anti-graft agency.

She is said to be involved in a N240 million fraud case.

After her arrest by the Special Duty Unit of the EFCC, she is understood to have been quizzed in relation to receiving a suspicious N130 million payment from a contractor the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) awarded a solar-powered electrification project in Akwa Ibom State.

The said contract was awarded to a certain Phin Jin Project Limited in 2011 for N240 million but N130 million was transferred to Mrs Etteh from the mobilization fee paid to the contractor.

A source in the EFCC familiar with the matter was quoted to have said: “The payment of that huge amount to her is suspicious. She is claiming the contractor repaid a debt due to her but that is doubtful. So her claims are being scrutinised.

“They even overpaid for the contract. Instead of N240 million, they paid N287 million. These are knotty issues she and the contractor need to explain and that is why she is being interrogated by operatives.”

Etteh’s arrest comes just a few hours after the EFCC confirmed the arrest of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed over an N80 billion fraud case.