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In response to the recent accusations made by Governor Bello Muhammed Matawalle of Zamfara State, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has strongly denied the allegations and labeled them as a desperate attempt by politically exposed persons under investigation to discredit the agency.
The EFCC, through its Director of Public Affairs, Osita Nwajah, addressed journalists at its headquarters in Abuja on Friday to refute the claims made by Governor Matawalle.
Nwajah dismissed Matawalle’s remarks as a product of paranoia and corruption fighting back against the EFCC’s lawful activities.
“What is at play here is a pure case of corruption fighting back. Matawalle’s outburst is a product of paranoia- an uncomfortable exertion arising from the heat of EFCC’s lawful activities.
“The Commission would like to put the nation on notice to expect more of the kind of wild allegations made by Matawalle as those at the receiving end of EFCC’s investigations, fight viciously back,” the EFCC spokesperson said.
Nwajah emphasized that Matawalle’s criticism of the transparency of the agency’s asset disposal and plea bargain procedures lacked credibility, asserting that the EFCC had overseen an asset disposal exercise recognized as the most transparent in Nigeria’s history, with the proceeds duly remitted to the federal government for infrastructure development.
The EFCC warned that more wild allegations could be expected from those facing investigations by the Commission, citing previous instances where former EFCC chairmen had been similarly accused of embezzling recovered assets.
It would be recalled that Governor Matawalle had accused the Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, of demanding a $2 million bribe from him, sparking a heated controversy.
This development comes amid ongoing claims by the EFCC that it is investigating Matawalle for alleged monumental corruption, involving the embezzlement of approximately N70 billion.
Matawalle has asserted that he possesses evidence of Bawa’s bribery attempt, challenging him to vacate his position, claiming that if Bawa were to leave office, numerous individuals would come forward with evidence of the bribes they had allegedly paid.
“If he exits office, people will surely know he is not an honest person. I have evidence against him. Let him vacate office.
“I am telling you, within 10 seconds, probably more than 200 people will bring evidence of the bribe he collected from them. He knows what he requested from me, but I declined.
“He requested a bribe of $2 million from me, and I have evidence of this. He knows the house we met, he invited me and told me the conditions. He told me governors were going to his office, but I did not. If I don’t have evidence, I won’t say this,” the Governor stated.
Matawalle emphasized his refusal to comply with the bribe request and revealed details of the encounter, including the location where the demand was made.
During an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, Bawa challenged Matawalle to provide concrete evidence to support his allegations, emphasising that if Matawalle possessed evidence of his alleged misconduct, it should be presented through official channels such as the police, ICPC, and the Code of Conduct for proper investigation.
The explosive accusations have triggered a wave of calls for Bawa’s resignation. Civil society organizations led by Debo Adeniran, representing over 150 groups, accused the EFCC of corruption and inefficiency.
They stressed that the EFCC’s role should be focused on combating corruption rather than being used as a tool for settling political scores.
Adeniran demanded a thorough investigation into the actions of the EFCC under Bawa’s leadership and raised concerns about the agency’s low conviction rates and alleged misconduct by its officials.
Amidst the escalating controversy, the Commission said that the governor’s outburst was an attempt to divert attention from the real issue at hand, which is Matawalle’s ongoing investigation for alleged corruption involving contract fraud and diversion of funds amounting to N70 billion meant for local government projects.
It stated that it had uncovered over 100 companies that received payments from these funds without providing any evidence of service to the state.
The EFCC said shocking admissions from contractors have also emerged, alleging that the governor coerced them into returning the money they received from the state in US dollars.