“They’ll Face Consequences” — Otti Confirms EFCC Probe into Predecessor’s ₦10bn ‘Audio Airport’

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has confirmed that investigations into the controversial ₦10 billion Abia airport project are still active.

He said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has not closed the case and is continuing to question individuals linked to the project.

The governor made this known during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia on Friday night.

Otti dismissed reports suggesting the matter had been abandoned by authorities.

“The EFCC is still working on the audio airport. Some people are still being invited, and at the end of the investigation, anyone found culpable will face the consequences,” Otti said.

The governor restated that public funds were allegedly spent on an airport project that does not physically exist.

He recalled that shortly after assuming office, he challenged his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu, to either present the completed airport or account for how the money was used.

Otti insisted that his administration would not ignore any case involving the misuse of state resources.

Meanwhile, the governor issued a fresh directive on the stalled reconstruction of the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Federal Road.

He expressed concern that work had not started months after the road was officially flagged off.

Otti ordered the Commissioner for Works, Otumchere Oti, to ensure construction begins without delay.

“Unfailingly by next week,” he instructed.

The governor also announced plans to dredge the Aba River down to the Azumini Blue River as part of an environmental and tourism initiative.

He warned factories in Aba against dumping industrial waste into the river.

According to him, such actions threaten marine life and pose serious health risks to residents.

“It is a punishable offence to empty industrial waste into a flowing river. Any factory caught doing so will face the full weight of the law,” he warned.

Otti explained that the dredging project would support plans to establish a leisure and entertainment centre at Azumini Blue River.

The project is expected to reposition Enyimba Hotel as a major tourism destination in the state.

“We are planning a leisure and entertainment centre at Azumini Blue River to make Enyimba Hotel a centre of attraction,” he said.

He added that the Abia State Government owns 80 percent equity in the hotel, while the remaining 20 percent belongs to the original investors.

Otti disclosed that the facility would be managed by Radisson Blu, an international hotel management brand.

On transportation, the governor announced that the state’s electric buses would begin collecting fares from March 1.

The buses had been operating free of charge since December 2025 under the state’s urban mass transit programme.

He said passengers would pay between ₦700 and ₦800 for trips from Umuahia to Aba, and ₦1,000 for journeys from Umuahia to Ohafia.

All payments, he added, would be made electronically, as cash would no longer be accepted.