File photo
According to Punch Metro, 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.