Ex-Delta gov, Okowa returns to EFCC over N1.3trn probe

Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor of Delta State, on Monday visited the Lagos directorate 1 office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) located on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi.

Sources within the commission said his visit is connected to an ongoing investigation into the alleged diversion of N1.3 trillion from the 13 per cent derivation funds allocated from the Federation Account between 2015 and 2023.

Okowa was earlier arrested on November 4, 2024, and detained for questioning at the EFCC’s Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate.

At the Lagos office, insiders revealed that he made efforts to retrieve his international passport, reportedly telling investigators he needed to travel abroad for urgent medical treatment.

It is, however, unclear whether the EFCC granted his request or returned the passport.

Efforts to get a reaction from the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone went unanswered.

The probe into the alleged diversion of derivation funds remains one of the commission’s high-profile cases targeting suspected mismanagement of oil revenue by former public officials.