Former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has been placed on a watch list by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the agency begins investigating financial activities during his administration.
The EFCC is reportedly scrutinizing contracts and transactions from Obaseki’s eight-year tenure, assigning a team of investigators to uncover potential irregularities. While initial findings do not directly implicate the former governor, the agency is following leads that could provide substantive evidence.
An EFCC official disclosed, “The investigation is ongoing, and Obaseki will not be invited until there is significant progress. Many transactions appear to have been carried out through intermediaries, making it challenging to connect them to him directly. However, we are pursuing promising leads.”
The source further explained that monitoring former governors is standard practice for the EFCC. “All former governors are automatically watchlisted to ensure they remain accessible when needed for investigations. It’s a preventive measure to avoid having to track them down later,” the official said.
Obaseki, who concluded his tenure on November 12, had previously claimed that the EFCC planned to arrest him after he left office. He has expressed willingness to cooperate with the commission and account for his time in office.
Meanwhile, Obaseki’s successor, Governor Monday Okpebholo, has set up a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to examine the financial and asset management of the previous administration.
The development highlights increased efforts by anti-corruption agencies and state governments to enforce transparency and accountability in public office.
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