N130m NDDC contract kickback lands Etteh in EFCC net

The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, over a shady contract worth N240m awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Etteh, who was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House of Reps, represented the Ayedaade/Isokan/Irewole Constituency of Osun State from 1999 to 2011.

She later resigned and was replaced by Dimeji Bankole.

It was however gathered that Etteh was arrested by the anti-graft agency after she allegedly received N130m through her personal account from Phil Jin Project Limited, a firm which was awarded a N240m contract by the NDDC in 2011.

It was learnt that the former Speaker was at the Abuja office of the EFCC on Tuesday and had yet to be released.

READ ALSO: EFCC arrests Nigeria’s Accountant General for N80bn fraud

Officials of the EFCC disclosed that Etteh had been unable to explain why the firm transferred N130m to her out of the money.

A top EFCC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Etteh is currently in our custody. What happened was that in 2011, the NDDC awarded a contract of N240m to Phil Jin Project Limited for the supply of solar-powered street lights in some communities in Akwa Ibom.”

The latest development is barely two days after EFCC arrested the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, over an N80 billion fraud.

The Star