EFCC has said Zamfara Governor Bello Muhammed Matawalle is under investigation for alleged award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70billion.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said Zamfara Governor Bello Muhammed Matawalle is under investigation for alleged award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70billion.
It said the cash was sourced as a loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects which were never done. EFCC chief Osita Nwajah said this on Thursday while addressing journalists at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The anti-graft agency claimed that more than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the State.
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It said an Abuja property developer, collected N6billion on a N10billion contract without rendering any service to Zamfara state.
It also said investigation has revealed that another contractor collected over N3billion for a contract for the supply of medical equipment.
But the commission traced a payment of N400million from medical supply contractor’s account to a Bureau de Change operator.
It said one of the beneficiary firms of the suspicious contracts, Fezel Nigeria Limited, has refunded N300million.
Matawalle has tasked the EFCC to equally probe people working with President Muhammadu Buhari, including federal cabinet ministers, accusing the agency of being biased in its operations.
EFCC has however rejected allegations of bias in its prosecution of corruption cases, accusing Matawalle of being out to distract the agency from its activities.
It said Matawalle decided to attack EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa because his tenure as governor was coming to an end and he was becoming dreadful of his fate.
It said Matawalle’s outbursts against EFCC were about a case of corruption fighting back.
