Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has suspended an aide, Mr Emmanuel Nicholas over fraud allegations.
The suspension is linked to his alleged involvement in fraudulent activities and subsequent arrest by the police on Wednesday.
In a release on Friday, July 17, endorsed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Emmanuel Nicholas, who had served as the Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Research and Documentation was suspended till further notice.
“I am directed to announce the immediate suspension of Mr. Emmanuel Nicholas from his duties as a Special Assistant to the Governor. This is as a result of allegations of fraudulent activities leveled against him.
“Mr. Nicholas will remain suspended until investigations are completed by security agencies and he is cleared of the allegations”, the statement read in parts.
It could be recalled that Emmanuel Nicholas also known aa White Bom Bom was arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Wednesday, July 15 on allegations of impersonation against the state government.
The report said Mr Emmanuel Nicholas , an Uruan man, had allegedly defrauded innocent people under the guise of providing orders of projects and letters of award of contracts for them at the Ministry of Works.
The news of his arrest came later on Thursday evening after he was said to have confessed to being guilty of the allegations.
Police sources had revealed that he was found with a fake AKSG identity card in his possession which he allegedly used to deceive his victims.
His arrest followed complaint by some victims that the suspect had defrauded vulnerable persons to the tune of over N500,000,000 ( Five hundred million naira) with a promise to secure orders of work and letter of award of contracts at the ministry of works.
Perhaps being released on some unknown grounds, Nicholas on Thursday night did a live video on the social media, where he was driving and singing songs in both Ibibio and English languages.
Although he started the video with a statement, “This is Emmanuel Nicholas live and direct…”, the former House of Assembly hopeful who never denied being arrested or detained by the police, ended the video with a note of appreciation to persons who checked on him through calls and other means, perhaps to ascertain his ‘safety’ and ‘well-being’.
Unconfirmed fillers however hinted that Nicholas was on Friday rearrested by the police.
But as the official working hours were winding into a close, a release by the state government greeted the airwaves to the effect that he was immediately suspended, pending when he was properly investigated and found to be innocent.
