Governor Akpabio is Owner Of $3.1m Found On Bank Manager

GOVERNOR GODSWILL AKPABIO

Lagos (THEWILL) - Strong indications emerged on Monday that Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State is the owner of the $3.1 million recently seized from a deputy general manager of bank PHB, Mrs. Emem Etuk, at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed International airport, Lagos.

Following a tip-off, Etuk, whose husband is Akpabio’s special assistant on Utilities, was arrested by airport security men last Thursday while attempting to board an Abuja-bound Arik flight with a case containing $3.1 million.

Mrs. Etuk was reported to have been uncooperative with security men who wanted to know the source of the funds. During questioning, she told the officers that the funds were Bank PHB's  and she was moving it to Abuja but failed to produce necessary papers from the bank authorizing the movement of the funds.

She was promptly handed over to the police, who later referred the matter to their headquarters in Abuja.

The management of the bank had tried to protect their staff and did all they could to stop the story from getting to the media, but the Police at the airport did not cooperate with them in that aspect.

Bank PHB Plc is one of Nigeria’s weak banks. Its former management was fired by the CBN after it failed the audit and stress test.

Sources familiar with the incident say Governor Akpabio has taken possession of the funds in Abuja.

There are calls for proper investigations into the origin of the funds, as some observers believe the funds may have been laundered for the Governor by the bank.