A recent police investigation has absolved Nsima Ekere, the former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State and one-time Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), of allegations related to conspiracy, diversion, and stealing of the sum of N118 million.
The police report, disclosed through a Certified True Copy signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Abdul from the Force Criminal Investigation Department, revealed that the accusations against Mr. Nsima Ekere and others stemmed from a misunderstanding of financial transactions.
The case, initially brought forward by Abasiama Idong in 2017, accused Ekere and several others of defrauding Akwa Savings & Loans Limited over the mentioned sum. However, the police investigation unearthed that the alleged missing N118 million was a request made by Lossela Nigeria Ltd from its deposit of two million, five hundred thousand US Dollars in Akwa Savings & Loans Limited.
This request was approved by the then Managing Director, Mr. Effiong Akwa Okon, with full knowledge that Lossela Ltd had sufficient funds to cover the transaction.
The police report further stated,
“That Mr. Nsima Ekere did not authorize any payment nor close any Akwa Ibom State Government account with Akwa Saving and Loans Ltd as he had no role to play in the bank.
“That Lossela Nigeria Limited has a business relationship with Techsel Products Ltd.
“That Lossela Nigeria Limited deposited $2,500,000 US Dollars with Akwa Savings and Loans Limited. That the money was transferred through Sterling Bank where Lossela maintained a domiciliary account.
“That Lossela Nigeria Limited sometimes in 2013 requested for the payment of one hundred million naira (N100,000,000) only from their US Dollars deposit with Akwa Savings and Loans Limited. That the money was credited into Techsel Products Ltd account with Akwa Savings and Loan Ltd based on a written instruction from Lossela Nigeria Ltd.
“That there was no visible illegal transaction between the suspects, “Techsel Products Nigeria Ltd” and Lossela Nigeria Ltd” as alleged.
“That the petition is a calculated attempt to smear and ridicule the political ambition of Mr. Nsima Ekere, who is also a former MD of NDDC.”
The police report stated that, based on their findings, there was no evidence to establish a prima facie case of conspiracy, forgery, and stealing against Mr. Nsima Ekere, Techsel Products Limited, Mr. Idorenyin Udo Ekere, and Dr. Aniekan Udo Ekere as alleged in the 2011-2014 case.