Reps Member Faces Petition Over Alleged N19m Travel Debt

• A member of the House of Representatives, Peter Akpanke, has been petitioned to the ICPC over an alleged ₦19.15 million unpaid travel debt.

A member of the House of Representatives representing Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku Federal Constituency of Cross River State, Peter Akpanke, has been petitioned to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over an alleged unpaid travel debt of ₦19.15 million.

The petition, written by solicitor Ohanele Udokanmma on behalf of Johnson Ugochukwu of Havilah Global Travels Limited, accused the lawmaker of failing to pay outstanding sums for international and local airline tickets despite repeated demands.

According to the petition, Akpanke engaged the travel agency on January 16, 2026, to procure three Business Class tickets to Rome for himself and two associates at a cost of ₦24.48 million.

The petitioner alleged that while in Rome, the lawmaker requested the reissuance of tickets for two of his companions at an additional cost of ₦5.79 million, before later requesting another ticket reissuance worth ₦1.52 million, bringing the total value of the international tickets to ₦31 million.

The petition acknowledged that Akpanke paid ₦10 million before the trip and another ₦4 million after returning to Nigeria, leaving an alleged outstanding balance.

It further claimed that the agency later purchased a domestic airline ticket worth ₦1.36 million for the lawmaker, which also remains unpaid.

The petitioner alleged that the total outstanding debt now stands at ₦19,154,468, adding that repeated efforts to recover the money had failed.

The solicitor urged the ICPC to investigate the matter and ensure justice was served.

Reacting to the allegations, Akpanke denied owing the travel agency ₦19.15 million, insisting that while he still had an outstanding balance, the amount being circulated was inaccurate.

“I’m having some balances to pay them, but it’s not up to ₦19 million,” the lawmaker said.

He questioned why the matter was being discussed publicly after the petition had already been submitted to an anti-graft agency.

“To owe somebody is not a crime. That’s business. If we did business and maybe I’m owing him, a lot of people are owing me too,” he said.

Akpanke also rejected suggestions that he used his political office to avoid payment, noting that he had maintained a longstanding business relationship with the travel agency.

According to him, he has purchased airline tickets worth over ₦100 million through the company in the past and has continued making payments, adding that he could provide evidence of recent transactions.