EFCC arraign Benue Assembly Clerk over alleged N220m fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday said it arrested the Clerk of the Benue State House of Assembly, Torese Agena, over alleged  N220 million fraud.

The Publicity Head of the anti-graft agency in Benue State, Nwanyinma Okeanu, who disclosed this in a press statement made available to our correspondent in Makurdi, said the commission also handed the suspect’s wife and two daughters over to the police for invading the commission and assaulting the security operatives on duty.

According to the statement, the clerk was arrested on Thursday and he has been in the custody of the commission, while investigation on the alleged fraud is ongoing.

Meanwhile, the commission said that family members of the clerk on Friday stormed its office and molested staff of the commission.

According to the statement, the clerk’s wife and her two daughters assaulted two policemen on duty and bit another policeman.

“The commission on Thursday 17/01/20 around 10 a.m. arrested the clerk of Benue House of Assembly, Torese Agena, for an alleged case of fraud, stealing and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of over two hundred and twenty million Naira (N220,000,000).

“He invited his wife and children to the EFCC’s zonal office in Makurdi where he is being held. The wife, Mrs Agena Terngu, and her daughters, Terfa – Mamadu Ngweavese and Agena Suur assaulted two mobile policemen on duty and bit the third policeman on his left arm. They also tried to run over another with their car while trying to escape.

“The suspect, Torese Agena, is currently the Clerk of the Benue State House of Assembly and is currently in detention on a valid remand warrant obtained from the Federal High Court, Makurdi.

“The suspect’s wife, as well as the two daughters who carried out the assault, were handed over to the police for onward prosecution while the main suspect, Torese Agena, Clerk of the Benue State House of Assembly, would be arraigned for prosecution as soon as investigation is concluded,” the statement read.