The Nigeria Police Force has commenced a sweeping investigation into alleged large-scale financial misconduct in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, with its focus on the council’s Acting Chairman, Mr. Sunday Akiotu, over claims of diverting more than N100 million in public funds.
The probe, being handled by the Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU, Ikoyi, Lagos, follows a detailed petition filed by Integrity Advocacy for Development Initiative, a civil society organisation, accusing the council leadership of criminal conspiracy, procurement fraud, money laundering and abuse of office.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the PSFU has formally invited Akiotu to appear before the Commissioner of Police on March 25, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. for questioning.
The invitation described the exercise as a fact-finding process aimed at obtaining clarifications on issues raised in the petition.
Two senior officials of the council, Mr. Ahonsi Charles, Director of Administration and General Services, and Mr. Otaru Gospel, Head of Budget, Planning and Statistics, were also invited and questioned by the unit on March 17, 2026.
Sources within the police indicated that the matter is being handled by the Stock and Capital Market Fraud Section, underscoring the financial complexity of the allegations.
At the heart of the probe are claims that funds belonging to Etsako East Local Government were systematically diverted through private accounts and entities in transactions allegedly lacking transparency and due process.
The petitioners estimate that the amount involved exceeds N100 million, comprising both statutory allocations and internally generated revenue of the council.
The petition further alleged that the funds were routed through two private companies, EXPESON Logistics and Filmanson Nigeria Limited, which are said to have no verifiable record of executing legitimate contracts for the local government.
The companies are believed to be linked to individuals associated with the council leadership, raising concerns that they may have been used as conduits to siphon public funds.
In addition, the council’s Director of Finance, Mr. Obiefi Kehinde Andrew, was alleged to have been subjected to intimidation and undue pressure to facilitate the transactions.
He was reportedly compelled to issue cheques in favour of the private companies despite the absence of clear contractual justification, a situation the petitioners described as indicative of a breakdown of internal financial controls within the local government.
The petition also raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding Akiotu’s emergence as Acting Chairman.
It alleged that on September 22, 2025, he was elevated from Acting Councillor to Speaker of the Legislative Arm and subsequently to Acting Chairman of the council within a span of less than 20 minutes, a process described as a subversion of democratic procedures.
He was sworn in the following day and later assumed leadership within the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria in Edo State.
The allegations outlined in the petition point to possible violations of several Nigerian laws relating to criminal conspiracy, stealing and misappropriation of public funds, abuse of office, money laundering and procurement fraud.
The petitioners have urged the police to conduct a full investigation into the financial activities of the council, examine relevant bank records, investigate the role of the companies linked to the transactions, recover any misappropriated funds and prosecute all persons found culpable.
They also submitted documentary evidence, including corporate records and transaction details, to support their claims.
As of the time of filing this report, Mr. Akiotu and the affected officials had yet to respond publicly to the allegations or the police invitations.
