According to sources, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is allegedly planning to arrest and intimidate Samuel Ortom, the immediate past Governor of Benue State.

The sources claim that the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership is behind this move. Senator George Akume, a prominent figure in the party, is said to be involved in the plot against Ortom.

The plan reportedly involves arresting Ortom after he loses his immunity as governor, taking him to Abuja, and subsequently transferring him to Lagos for severe torture.

The sources suggest that the EFCC intends to conduct a media trial against Ortom, convicting him in the public domain without any court verdict.

A team of EFCC officials has reportedly been deployed from Abuja to Benue State covertly, without the knowledge of the commission’s office in Makurdi, to invade Ortom’s residence and apprehend him. The EFCC is said to have already prepared charges against him.

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It has been alleged that Akume has used proxies to file petitions against Ortom, accusing him of misappropriation of public funds.

The motive behind these actions is believed to be Akume’s lingering resentment over his loss in the 2019 Senate election.

Governor Ortom’s spokesperson, Mr. Terver Akase, responded to the allegations, stating that if they are true, the EFCC does not need to resort to covert operations because Ortom has openly stated his willingness to honor any invitation from the commission. He emphasized that the governor has nothing to hide.

This is not the first time that Governor Samuel Ortom has faced harassment from the EFCC. In the past, the commission conducted several investigations and interrogated his key appointees, but no substantial evidence was found.

Ortom has been a vocal critic of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, particularly regarding the issue of insecurity and the persistent killings in Benue State.

In a recent statement, he described Buhari’s tenure as the worst in Nigeria’s history, attributing poverty and insecurity to the government’s failure.