From Chuks Onuoha, Umuanhia

Operatives of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Monday evening stormed Umuahia, Abia State capital and arrested  the Accountant General (AG) of the  state,  Chief Gabriel Onyendilefu over alleged financial misappropriation during the tenure of the former governor, Senator Theodore Orji.

Impeccable  sources said  Onyendilefu was arrested by the anti-graft agency’s  operatives as he was emerging from   Gerobi Hotels, near Upstairs Line, World Bank Housing Estate, Umuahia.

The AG’s alleged arrest has become a topical issue in the state, since  the news broke out.

However, there are conflicting reports about his arrest.

While some people are saying he is currently being detained, others are saying he was quizzed and later released.

There are other sources that claimed that he is currently in Abuja, where he has gone for FAC meeting.

Daily Sun  learnt that AG was due for retirement after serving for eight years under former governor T. A Orji, but got  2 years extension by the then governor, a development, which our source  stated  was for strategic reasons.

The extension was backed by an amendment in Abia State Civil Service rules and was  moved and adopted in the last State House of Assembly before the expiration of the last administration.

It was also disclosed to Daily Sun that the aim of the extension was  to protect alleged financial recklessness of the past administration  and  work as informant over what comes in terms of fund and what goes out  in the present government.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, at the time of filing this report could not be reached for confirmation. A staff in AG’s office  who pleaded  anonymity  told Daily Sun  that the  AG was in Abuja for a meeting convened by Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

The staff denied any encounter between the  AG and the anti-graft agency over  alleged financial misconduct.

It is an open secret in Abia that there are several  pockets of petitions from different groups in the state, calling on EFCC to investigate what they termed “massive looting” that characterised the immediate past administration in the state, headed by Senator Theodore Orji.

Efforts made to reach the AG in his several lines did not go through, as his lines were either switched off or not reachable .