The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, over allegations of fraud involving a Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contract.
Etteh was arrested on Tuesday by the anti-graft agency in Abuja for questioning.
Mrs. Patricia Etteh, who was Speaker between June 6, 2007, and October 30, 2007, was arrested in Abuja by operatives of the Special Duty Unit of the anti-graft agency, those familiar with the matter said.
Some reports have it that the former lawmaker is being interrogated for allegedly 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.
She was still being held by the EFCC in their detention facility in Abuja at the time of going to press.
Mrs. Etteh’s arrest is coming barely 24 hours after the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, was arrested by the EFCC.
The anti-graft commission arrested Ahmed Idris on Monday over an alleged N80 billion fraud.
EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren confirmed his arrest in a statement on Monday evening.
Uwujaren said Idris was arrested after failing to honour the Commission’s invitations to respond to issues connected to the alleged fraudulent act.
Attempts to reach Uwujaren on phone over the arrest of Etteh was unsuccessful.
