Ex-Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia allegedly collected N48b as security vote in eight years.

A former Governor of Abia, Sen. Theodore Orji, was, on Thursday, arrested by operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Spokesperson of EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement, stated that “The ex-governor is alleged to have collected N500 million monthly as security vote for eight years, as governor of Abia State between 2007 and 2015.”

This translated to N48 billion.

The statement said Orji who had been on the commission’s watch list, was intercepted at Nnamdi International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday.

He said that Orji was later taken to the commission’s headquarters for continuation of his interrogation.

“He is being quizzed alongside his son, Chinedu, the current Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, who turned himself in this afternoon upon learning of the arrest of his father.

“Orji and his sons, Chinedu and Ogbonna, are under investigation by EFCC for offences bordering on misappropriation of public funds and money laundering.  “Other issues relate to the alleged mismanagement of N2 billion ecological fund and conversion of Sure-P funds.”