Following his arrest on Thursday, Theodore Orji, the former governor of Abia State, was released on bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Senator Orji was taken into custody at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. He was said to be on his way to London for a medical examination.
After hours of interrogation at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, EFCC agents granted him administrative release, according to reports. On Friday, the interrogation will resume.
Orji was interrogated alongside his son, Chinedu, the Speaker of the Abia State Assembly. When the Speaker learned of his father’s detention, he turned around.
It was unclear whether the Speaker was also released on bond.
Orji and his son are accused of stealing N521 billion from the government.
The probe was prompted by a petition submitted by the Fight Corruption: Save Nigeria Group on March 17, 2017.
The petitioners claimed that Orji diverted “N383 billion from the Federation Account, N55 billion from excess crude, N2.3 billion from Sure-P, N1.8 billion from ecological funds, N10.5 billion from a loan, N12 billion from a Paris Club refund, N2 billion from an agricultural loan, and N55 billion from ASOPADEC money while in office.”
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