ABUJA: Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has reportedly approached the Economic and Financial Crime Commission ????????????(EFCC) in a bid to recover his international passport, which has remained in the custody of the anti-graft agency since his arrest in November 2024.
Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that the former governor recently visited the commission’s Lagos office on Awolowo Road as part of efforts to secure the release of the travel document to enable him to seek medical treatment abroad.
According to insiders within the EFCC, Okowa’s visit was connected to ongoing discussions surrounding the investigation into allegations of financial misconduct against him.
“He was not arrested. He visited the commission’s Lagos office in connection with the ongoing investigation. He also made moves to retrieve his international passport to attend to some medical issues abroad,” one source revealed.
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However, it could not be immediately confirmed whether the former governor was successful in obtaining the passport.
Attempts to get an official reaction from the EFCC proved unsuccessful. The agency’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, did not respond to calls and inquiries as of the time this report was filed.
The EFCC has retained Okowa’s international passport since his arrest on November 4, 2024, over allegations involving the diversion of about N1.3 trillion in 13 per cent derivation funds received by Delta State from the Federation Account between 2015 and 2023.
The anti-graft agency is also investigating claims that the former governor failed to properly account for the funds and another N40 billion allegedly invested in shares of UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas and a leading commercial bank.
Following his arrest in Port Harcourt, Okowa was later granted bail after meeting conditions set by the commission.
The allegations remain under investigation, while the former governor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Reacting after his release in 2024, Okowa rejected claims that he diverted N1.3 trillion, arguing that the figures being mentioned were unrealistic.
“To successfully take N1.3 trillion, it means you have to be taking between N16 billion and N20 billion every month into your pocket. I don’t even know if the President of this country can do that, let alone a state governor,” he had said.
He further noted that during the early years of his administration, Delta State faced severe financial challenges.
“They have forgotten that in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the allocations coming to the state were not even enough to pay salaries,” the former governor stated.
Efforts to obtain comments from Okowa through one of his associates and Delta State Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
While no official decision has been announced regarding the release of his international passport, the development marks another chapter in the ongoing EFCC investigation into the former governor’s administration.
With the probe still active, uncertainty remains over whether Okowa will be allowed to travel abroad for medical reasons as requested, even as the anti-corruption agency continues its examination of the allegations surrounding the management of Delta State funds during his eight-year tenure.
