Bailout Scandal: Kogi State Denies Ownership of Returned N19.3bn, Challenges EFCC to Provide Evidence
- Ownership of the N19.3 billion returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by the EFCC has been denied by Kogi state government
- The state asked the anti-graft agency to retract the statement that the funds belong to Kogi within 48 hours or face legal action
- In an earlier report, the EFCC had disclosed that it returned the Kogi salary bailout funds it recovered to the apex bank
Kogi state government has reacted to reports of the N19.33 billion salary bailout funds the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allegedly returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Premium Times reports that the northern state government denied ownership of the funds, describing the claims as “mischievous, false and politically motivated.”
Source: Facebook
Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi state commissioner for information and communications, called on the commission to retract the statement that the funds belonged to Kogi within 48 hours or face legal action.
While insisting that the government has disbursed its bailout loans, Fanwo speaking on Sunday, November 21, in Lagos, challenged the EFCC to provide details of the fixed deposit account, The Guardian added.
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According to him, the state does not operate a fixed deposit bank account, which had been clarified in a letter, dated September 1 by the financial institution.
EFCC returns N19.3bn Kogi salary bailout ‘hidden’ in bank to CBN
Recall that EFCC said it returned the N19.3 billion bailout funds allegedly hidden by the Kogi state government to the CBN.
The anti-graft agency had earlier disclosed the money meant for the payment of salaries of the state workers was domiciled in an interest-yielding account with a bank.
In a statement released on Friday evening, November 19, by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the commission said the apex bank has acknowledged the receipt of the said money.
Why Yahaya Bello is in N19.3bn bailout scandal
In a related development, the Kogi state commissioner for information alleged that some of the governors interested in the 2023 presidential race are using EFCC to discredit Governor Bello.
While commenting on EFCC’s revelation on the N19.3 billion the Kogi state government allegedly hid in a bank account, Fanwo accused the anti-graft agency of chasing shadows.
The commissioner described the action of EFCC as a hatchet job conceived by politicians and executed by the anti-graft agency.
Source: Legit.ng
