18th May, 2023
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday said it is investigating Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle over allegation of N70 billion fraud.
EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Osita Nwajah disclosed this in Abuja at a news conference.
According to him, the real issue with Matawalle was that he is being investigated by the EFCC, over allegations of corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70 billion.
He explained that 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.
Nwajah added that more than 100 companies had received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state.
Premium Times quoted Nwajah as saying that some of the contractors who had been invited and questioned over the governor’s alleged sleazy transactions, 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.
He stated that the contractors confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara State but were allegedly directed to convert the monies paid to them into United States Dollar and return to the State governor through some of his commissioners, notably the Commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.