Abuja, Nigeria
Protesters from Zamfara State were at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday to demand the probe of the minister of defence, Bello Matawalle.
The protesters are asking the Commission to reopen investigations on the former governor of the state, Matawalle.
Channels TV reports that the protesters, under the auspices of APC Loyalists Forum, want the EFCC to investigate all petitions against the former governor.
This includes the alleged contract diversion up to the tune of N70 billion during his tenure as governor of the state.
The EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, was said to have received the protest letter on behalf of the chairman.
He assured the protesters that the EFCC is determined to pursue every corruption case to a logical conclusion.
Recall in May 2023, the anti-graft agency said who was about to leave office as the Governor of Zamfara State was under investigation for alleged N70bn fraud.
The Commission, in a statement then said Matawalle was being investigated over allegations of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70 billion.
“The money which was sourced as loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed,” the statement partly read in part.
“The Commission’s investigations so far reveal that more than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state.”
According to EFCC, some of the concerned contractors had been invited and quizzed, adding that they made “startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting the same to United States Dollars”.
