Senator Stephen Odey, Cross River State’s Commissioner for Education, has denied ever giving his approval for Dr. Denis Usibe, the ministry’s Director of Finance, to take money out of the bank.
Two men dressed as soldiers followed Usibe from a bank on Calabar Road into the Ministry of Education building, next to Governor Bassey Otu’s office, and allegedly stole millions of naira from him. On Wednesday, Usibe was shot in the leg.
In contrast to the N30 million that had been rumored, Odey stated over the phone that the sum must have been closer to N500,000. According to him, he never authorized payment by signing a check.
He insisted he was apprised of any trip to the bank and went on to say that he was present with the governor of the state and members of his Yache village when the incident occurred.
He verified that the bandits had ambushed Usibe while he parked his car on the grounds of his ministry.
According to reports, the finance director is doing well after being taken to Navy Reference Hospital and thereafter to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, where the bullets were removed.
