Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has distanced his administration from the ₦700 billion fraud allegation against his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel. The accusation, made by the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking, is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
At a town hall meeting in Abak on Saturday, Eno firmly rejected the claims, saying, “I don’t know where they get those figures from, because it can’t be from Akwa Ibom State. It can’t be from us – we don’t have such figures.”
The governor, who belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), condemned the repeated vilification of former governors in the state, particularly since the return to democracy in 1999.
“I begin to feel that how we treat our leaders after they have put in all their efforts to serve can be very discouraging,” Eno remarked, pointing out that previous leaders like Obong Attah and even Senate President Godswill Akpabio were also subjected to similar investigations. “We vilified him (Akpabio), we went to EFCC. Now, we are doing it to Governor Udom Emmanuel,” he said.
Eno argued that such probes into the actions of former leaders undermine the morale of current officeholders. “Subjecting leaders to fraud investigations after they have served their people well in office only discourages those currently in leadership positions. It discourages you from giving your best, from exhausting yourself in service, because in the end, the people don’t show you gratitude,” Eno added.
The governor also emphasized that former leaders like Udom Emmanuel, who served Akwa Ibom State with dedication, deserved to be honored and respected, not vilified. “When a man has served his state meritoriously, like Governor Udom Emmanuel did, he should be respected and honored. I don’t see a place for this kind of vilification; it is not correct. I don’t believe it should go on. It is not truthful, and we need to dismiss it with a pinch of salt,” Eno concluded.
The allegations against Emmanuel, who served as governor from May 2015 to May 2023, surfaced on March 4, 2025, when EFCC operatives detained him for questioning in connection with the ₦700 billion fraud claims. The petitioners allege that Emmanuel was involved in money laundering and fund diversion during his tenure.
They also claimed that despite receiving ₦3 trillion from the Federation Account over eight years, Emmanuel left behind a debt profile of ₦500 billion and ongoing unpaid projects worth ₦300 billion. Furthermore, they assert that he failed to account for ₦700 billion in funds.
