BREAKING: Northern APC Governor Bello Matawalle on EFCC Radar for Alleged N70bn Fraud

• The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it would commence a probe of Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state
• The All Progressives Congress (APC) governor is being investigated for an alleged N70 billion fraud
• Matawalle has been accused of gathering the money as a loan and diverting it to several accounts without executing the projects

FCT, Abuja - Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state is currently on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC) radar for an alleged N70 billion fraud.

As reported by Daily Trust, the commission's chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, May 18.

During the press briefing, Bawa urged the general public to ignore the All Progressives Congress (APC) governor's antics.

Over the past few days, Governor Matawalle has been aiming shots at the commission to probe the cabinet members of President Muhammadu Buhari.

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Meanwhile, the EFCC recently detained the former minister of power, Sale Mamman, under investigation for an alleged N22 billion fraud.

Reacting to Governor Matawalle's outburst, the EFCC boss, according to Vanguard, said:

“It is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate. Is this a case of a “’thief’’ saying he must not be touched until other ‘’thieves’’ are caught?

“Unfortunately, it is not within Matawalle’s remit to dictate to the EFCC whom to arrest, when and where. Suspects in the custody of the Commission cut across all sectors and social class."

The commission noted that nobody is above the law so long the individual is on the radar of the anti-graft agency and confirms that the individual under investigation is guilty of the crime.

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He said:

“Currently, a former minister of power is in the custody of the EFCC over a N22billion corruption allegation. That conveniently did not attract Matawalle’s attention."

Why Matawalle is on EFCC radar

Speaking on behalf of Bawa at the press briefing, the EFCC’s director of public affairs, Osita Nwajah, said Matawalle was being investigated for allegations of “corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70 billion.”

He noted that the diverted funds were being sourced as loans from banks for the execution of projects in Zamfara state.

According to Premium Times, Nwajah disclosed that “more than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state.”

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Meanwhile, the call for the arrest of the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele, has again been revisited by an APC governor.

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Governor Bello Matawale of Zamfara state has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to grant an alleged study leave to the CBN boss.

Matawalle noted that Emefiele must give an account of all that transpired in his office and answer questions Bola Tinubu's administration has for him.

Source: Legit.ng