By Festus Ahon
UGHELLI — THE uneasy calm in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State assumed a new dimension last weekend as four persons were apprehended by the Police at Ughelli for allegedly attempting to alter some financial documents belonging to the council.

The legislative arm of the council had been at war with the council Chairman, Mrs. Josephine Abeki, over income and expenditure account of the council.

A dependable source told  Vanguard that since the inception of the administration in May 2008, Mrs. Josephine Abeki had only rendered one month income and expenditure account to the legislative house.

The source added that the one month income and expenditure account was allegedly returned to the council chairman by a councillor loyal to her before the house could look at the document.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard that the suspects were caught in a business centre at Ughelli (names withheld) by three councillors in the local government council.

According to the source, the councillors immediately contacted the Area Commander, Ughelli Police Command, seeing that some of the financial documents of the council were being tampered with.

He added that an official of the council, proprietor of the business centre, his wife and one of his workers were arrested by the police for interrogation.

The councillors, Mr Amakapreye Ofu, Majority Leader of the House, Mr Armour Endukeyi and Mr Edmund Guanah, said they stopped over in the business centre to make photocopies of some documents on their way from Patani when they saw that some classified documents of the council were being altered.

They said they immediately contacted the police, reiterating that four persons were arrested in connection with the matter and were granted bail after interrogation.

The councillors alleged that the documents were mutilated with correction fluid.
When contacted, the Area Commander, Mr Bassey Essien, said the matter was being handled by the police, adding that the documents were taken to the business centre with the consent of the council.