Nigerian Concord Newspaper
More facts have emerged on the offences, arrest and detention of Mr. Andrew Torhile Uchi, an Aide of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume who is being detained by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC for a Hundred Billion Naira fraud.
Nigerian Concord Newspaper gathered that eighty percent of the N100B which Uchi reportedly laundered was from some shady deals he and his wife, an indigene of Rivers State did with the name of SGF Akume at the NNPC.
According to findings, the suspect and his wife have been using documents from the office of the SGF to do illegal transactions running to billions of Naira at the NNPC and have also been collecting bribes from some other oil companies and some vulnerable private agencies in the country all in the name of the former Benue state governor.
Recall that the mansion which Uchi was accused of building with part of the stolen funds is just about one hundred metres from the Judges Quarters residence of Senator George Akume in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State.
According to evaluations, the mansion is worth over N2Billion with many well furnished living rooms and about fifty air conditioners therein.
The mansion which is a three storey building also has an expensive elevator.
Meanwhile, this newspaper gathered that it was during the last Christmas that the wife of the SGF, Rt Hon Regina Akume visited the mansion that Uchi’s trouble started.
According to sources, Regina Akume who was very angry on beholding the multi billion naira mansion complained to her husband that the suspect’s style of living should be investigated especially when the news that he was buying several properties across the country came up.
This newspaper also gathered that it was some top officials at the SGF’s office including a Director in the Finance Department that organized some Pseudo persons to write a petition to the EFCC which led to Uchi’s arrest and detention.
Findings however showed that Senator George Akume had to ask his wife, Regina and his Chief of Staff, Chris Tarka to travel out of the country on hearing that Uchi would be arrested by the Anti Graft agency.
Immediately he was arrested, Uchi’s father reportedly took elders from Tarka to meet an APC chieftain, Elder Simeon Sango to help him plead with Senator George Akume to facilitate the release of his son but the SGF in turn insulted Sango, saying that the suspect should go and explain what he knows about the one hundred billion Naira fraud to the EFCC.
During investigation, Nigerian Concord Newspaper’s source hinted that the suspect is presently operating three different bank accounts in the United Kingdom and Netherlands. It was said that he has been laundering funds with the said foreign bank accounts for some top federal appointees from Benue state.