Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has reportedly approached the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the release of his international passport, which has been in the agency’s custody since his arrest in November 2024.
According to sources within the anti-graft agency, Okowa recently visited the EFCC’s Lagos office on Awolowo Road to discuss the possibility of retrieving the travel document. The request is said to be linked to plans to seek medical treatment abroad.
A source familiar with the matter clarified that the former governor was not arrested during the visit but attended as part of the ongoing investigation into allegations against him.
“He was not arrested. He visited the commission’s Lagos office in connection with the ongoing investigation. He also made efforts to secure the release of his international passport to enable him to attend to some medical issues abroad,” the source disclosed.
It remains unclear whether the EFCC approved his request and released the passport.
Attempts to obtain an official response from the commission were unsuccessful, as EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, did not respond to calls as of the time of filing this report.
According to Punch Newspapers, Okowa’s passport has remained with the EFCC since his arrest on November 4, 2024, over allegations involving the diversion of N1.3 trillion from the 13 percent derivation funds allocated to Delta State between 2015 and 2023.
The commission is also investigating claims that the former governor failed to account for the funds, as well as an additional N40 billion allegedly used to acquire shares in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas and a major commercial bank.
Following his arrest in Port Harcourt, Okowa was granted bail after fulfilling the conditions set by the EFCC.
The former governor has consistently denied the allegations. Speaking after his release, he dismissed the claims as unrealistic, arguing that the amount in question was too large to have been personally diverted.
“To successfully take N1.3 trillion, it would mean taking between N16 billion and N20 billion every month into one’s pocket. I do not believe even the President could do that, let alone a state governor,” he said.
Okowa further noted that during the early years of his administration, Delta State struggled financially and often lacked sufficient revenue to meet salary obligations.
