“₦Billions Allegedly Diverted!” — Arogbo Youths Drag NDDC to EFCC Over Missing Bridge Funds

By Passman Akpos

Fresh controversy has erupted in Ondo State following a strongly worded open letter addressed to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olukoyede Ola, demanding an urgent investigation into the abandoned Agadagba-Obon to Arogbo bridge project allegedly initiated by the Niger Delta Development Commission.

The petition, signed by Pharm. Allen S.E and Comrade Kpainko Thaddeus, President of the Arogbo Ijaw Youth Forum, accused the NDDC and contractors linked to the project of abandoning what they described as a “lifeline infrastructure” meant to transform Arogbo Kingdom in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

According to the letter, the bridge project, reportedly approved between 2011 and 2015, was celebrated across Arogbo Kingdom as a historic breakthrough after decades of infrastructural neglect and economic isolation.

The petitioners alleged that the contract was awarded to an Italian firm identified as Picolo Brunelli Engineering Limited, and that early construction activities including site clearing and demolition of buildings along the proposed route had already commenced before the project mysteriously stopped.

“After those initial activities, the project abruptly came to a standstill and has since become another tragic example of abandoned government projects in Nigeria,” the letter stated.

The petition further claimed that despite widespread reports that huge public funds may have been released for the bridge, there is “absolutely nothing tangible on ground” to justify the expenditure more than eleven years later.

Describing the situation as “painful and suspicious,” the petitioners called on the EFCC to launch a “comprehensive, transparent, and uncompromising investigation” into the activities of the NDDC, the contractors involved, and all public officials connected to the project.

The letter warned that if funds allocated for the project were diverted or mismanaged, it would amount to a “grave betrayal of public trust” and a major injustice against the people of Arogbo Kingdom.

The community leaders also lamented that the continued abandonment of the bridge has worsened transportation challenges, slowed economic growth, hindered healthcare access, and deepened social hardship in the riverine community.

They described Arogbo as the ancestral headquarters and cultural identity of their people, stressing that the failed bridge project has now become “a symbol of broken promises, administrative negligence, and possible corruption.”

In the emotional appeal, the petitioners praised the anti-corruption efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and expressed confidence in the leadership of EFCC Chairman Olukoyede Ola, saying Nigerians are beginning to regain hope in the fight against corruption.

“Public office holders and contractors can no longer act with impunity,” the letter stated while urging the anti-graft agency to ensure that anyone found culpable faces justice according to Nigerian law.

The petition is already generating reactions among residents and youth groups in the Niger Delta, with many calling for transparency regarding the whereabouts of funds allegedly tied to the controversial bridge project.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the NDDC nor the alleged contracting company had officially responded to the allegations contained in the open letter.