EFCC storms ex-Zamfara governor Yari's residence over alleged fraud

- EFCC has raided residence of the former governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari

- Operatives of the anti-graft agency stormed Yari's residence on Sunday, August 4

- A governorship candidate of the APGA in the state, Sani Shinkafi, had told the court to compel EFCC to probe Yari's tenure

The residence of the immediate past governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari, in Talata Mafara, about 100km away from the state capital, Gusau, was on Sunday, August 4, raided by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Daily Nigerian reports that eye witnesses said the operatives numbering more than 20, came in seven vehicles, including a bus for the operation that lasted for five hours.

Legit.ng gathered that the operatives arrived at the residence around 6pm and left around 11pm on Sunday, August 4.

According to the online medium, it is unclear whether the anti-graft operatives found anything incriminating during the raid, adding that the governor and his family were not in the house during the raid.

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It was learnt that locals who trooped to witness the operation, booed the anti-graft operatives, chanting “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.”

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Zamfara state, Sani Shinkafi, had last month expressed resolve to a court to compel the commission to probe the tenure of Yari.

Shinkafi said he had written a petition to the anti-graft agency but no action was taken by it. He said he would get an order of mandamus to compel the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, and the commission to commence investigation into the alleged looting by a former governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari, amounting to over N251 billion.

Shinkafi alleged that Yari left liabilities from ongoing projects to the tune N151,190,477,572.02.

He said: “Unremitted national housing fund deductions from salaries from 2016 to 2019 stands at N1,431,645,305,99. The liabilities under the ministry of education which involves external examinations and institutions such as Crescent University Abeokuta, Al-Hikma University, Ilorin and Key Science Academy Abuja stands at N2.812.172.155.

“The committee further discovered that out of the two billion naira approved by the Yari administration for the payment of backlog of gratuity owed to retired workers in the state, only retired permanent secretaries were paid to the tune of only N400,000.00, a whopping sum of one billion six hundred million is unaccounted for."

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Shinkafi also accused Yari of going against due process in the award of rural electrification contracts to the tune of N25 billion to a company. He said the former governor awarded construction of township roads across 14 local governments of the state to the tune of over N75 billion.

He also noted the contract was jointly awarded and funded by the 14 local government councils and state government by the past administration without recourse to due process.

It was, however, learnt that the EFCC has not spoken on the raid.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Enugu zonal office of EFCC on Tuesday, July 23, barred about 1,500 students of the Rochas Foundation School in Imo state from gaining access to the school.

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Source: Legit.ng