by Ogunyemi Bukola

There seems to be no respite in sight for embattled Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly commenced a probe into the private jet purchased by the state government.

The anti-graft agency is said to have commissioned its men to look into the details of the purchase as it suspects the cost of purchase may have been inflated by as much as $10 million.

Records available to the agency show that the aircraft may have been bought for $47 million, while the state government is alleged to have inflated the cost to $57 million.

The crisis over an aircraft owned by the Rivers State Government deepened on Thursday, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission commenced a discreet probe to determine Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s link to the alleged inflation of the cost of the plane by $10m. The aircraft has been the subject of a row between the Rivers State Government and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

It was learnt that the anti-graft agency is looking into the ‘high possibility’ of alleged money laundering in relation to the purchase of the aircraft.

A source said on Thursday that while the state government claimed to have purchased the Bombardier aircraft with $57m, records available to the EFCC showed that it may have been bought for $47m, thereby creating room for suspicion on how $10m was spent.

The controversial aircraft has been the subject of a row between the Rivers State Government and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority this week, and the entrance of the EFCC into the scene is set to complicate matters more for the governor.

The agency is also said to be interested in how the two aircraft inherited by Amaechi from former his predecessor, Peter Odili, were managed.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, admits he has not been briefed on the matter.