The Nigeria Police Force has arrested and detained a Delta State-based comedian, Ajirioghene Otaba, popularly known as MC 2 Kingdom, over a Facebook video, questioning the abandonment of the Isoko 132 KVA substation electricity project.
SaharaReporters gathered that Otaba had few days ago visited the project site in Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta state and made a video speaking on the abandoned project and calling on the contractor, Matthew Edevbie, to return to site and complete the project.
The project was said to have been abandoned 10 years ago and Otaba visited, posting it on his Facebook timeline.
SaharaReporters learnt that following the video posted by Otaba on his facebook timeline, the contractor, Matthew Edevbie, who is an elder brother to Delta State former finance commissioner and 2014 and 2023 PDP governorship aspirant, David Edevbie, put up a petition of defamation and cyber stalking against Otaba.
The comedian was thereafter arrested on Friday afternoon in Lagos State and taken to the Force Headquarter Annex, Obalende Lagos, where he is being detained.
Confirming his arrest, Otaba disclosed that he was arrested in Lekki on the orders of the contractor after he was lured with a show booking.
Fellow Comedians, social media influencers as well as sons and daughters of Isoko nation have launched a #FreeAjiriogheneOtabaNow campaign on social media with a call on the police and Edevbie to immediately release him unconditionally.
In the video, Otaba had said, “As you can see, we are here live in Ozoro at the 132kva electricity stepdown is has been abandoned. I am here to talk about the pains of Deltans and the pains of Isoko people. Enough is enough. I am right here in Ozoro to talk about the 132kva substation that was given to a well-known man in Delta State, Chief Matthew Edevbie, is the contractor of this substation.
“For good 14 years now, this substation has been under construction. When this substation is completed, Isoko nation can have supply of power for at least 23 hours. This is why Isoko has been in darkness for years now. A land that is producing oil and gas and crude oil. There are oil companies operating in Isoko land but we cannot boast of an hour electricity supply and this is a shame to our government.
“This is call to the Delta State government, NDDC and other authorities to please call on Matthew Edevbie, the contractor to go back to site and there is anything hold back this project, they should please address it. This project has been abandoned for years, this is a shame, some of the cables and wires have been vandalised and stolen by unknown people. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state should please come to the aid of Isoko and see that this project is completed.”
Meanwhile, the political class and leadership of Isoko nation have thrown their weights behind Otaba’s agitation and questioning of the abandoned project by the contractor and demanded for the immediate unconditional release of their son.
The Isoko nation while condemning in its entirety the arrest and detention of the comedian, cautioned the contractor and the police to tread with care as all the things said in the video were true reflection of the reality on ground.
As at the time of this report , SaharaReporters reliably gathered that plans are on to transfer the comedian from Lagos to the Force headquarters in Abuja.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), had in 2020 secured a final forfeiture of N827, 679,098.32 (Eight Hundred and Twenty-Seven Million, Six Hundred and Seventy-Nine Thousand, Ninety-Eight Naira, Thirty-Two Kobo) from Matthew Edevbie, Chief Executive Officer of Flank Power Resources Limited and GMFD Ventures Limited, both of whom were firms linked to contractors with the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC).
The forfeiture followed the order of Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, sequel to an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC investigator, in which the commission prayed the court for the forfeiture of the sum to the federal government of Nigeria, being proceeds of unlawful activity, traced to some contractors’ accounts with Zenith Bank.
A breakdown of the recovery shows that N616, 679, 098.32 (Six Hundred and Sixteen Million, Six Hundred and Seventy-Nine Thousand, Ninety-Eight Naira, Thirty-Two Kobo) was recovered from Flank Power Resources Limited, while N211million (Two Hundred and Eleven Million Naira) was recovered from GMFD Ventures Limited. It was discovered that between 2018 and 2019, Flank Power Resources Limited had received the funds from the NDDC, through its account number:1015642852 , while GMFD received through account number: 1014657819 both of which are domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc for desilting contracts which aside being inflated, were not executed, but diverted and laundered.
The sum of N616, 679, 098.32 recovered from Flank Power Resources Limited was facilitated through 62 Zenith Bank drafts in favour of the EFCC Recovered Funds Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, while the N211million from GMFD came through 22 Zenith Bank drafts in favour of the same account.
The EFCC had secured the interim forfeiture of the money on June 8, 2020 and its final forfeiture was granted by the court on June 29, 2020.
SaharaReporters
