As the campaign season kicks in, there are palpable fears in Adamawa, in the camps of four of the leading gubernatorial candidates, because of various corruption cases hanging over their candidates.
Candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the State are among the various candidates stomping round, soliciting for support to emerge the Governor who will take over the Government House, Yola, come May, 2019.
The four candidates are the incumbent Governor, Senator Umaru Jibrilla Bindow of the APC; a former Acting Governor of Adamawa State, the Rt. Hon Umaru Fintiri; the Senator representing Adamawa Central, Senator, Nyako Abdul-Aziz; and a former lawmaker, Hon Emmanuel Bello.
As the election campaign gathers steam from this week, TNG, (TheNewsGuru.com), has launched investigations into the background of various persons in Nigeria, across party lines, who are vying for political offices.
In Adamawa State, TNG found out that the following candidates, at various times were accused of corrupt practices.
Umaru Fintiri
One of the governorship candidates eyeing the Adamawa governorship seat, Mr. Fintiri was Adamawa’s State House of Assembly Speaker and one time Acting Governor for over 74 days before he was sacked by the Federal High Court Abuja and replaced with Barr. Bala Ngillari. On September 21, 2019, Mr. Fintiri declared his bid to contest on the ticket of the PDP in Yola, the state capital.
But his ambition is dogged by allegations of corruption while he was in office as Acting Governor for 74 days.
In June 30th, 2008 the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri and a company linked to him, Mayim Construction and Properties Limited before Justice A.R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 5-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N2.9billion.
Fintiri, a former speaker, who also served briefly as the acting Governor of Adamawa State, allegedly laundered monies through his naira and dollar accounts domiciled at Ecobank Plc., and made large cash payment for the purchase of a property at Plot Number 7, Gana Street, Maitama, Abuja.
He was also accused of making other large cash payments for the purchase of landed properties in Abuja during the three months he held sway as the governor of the state.
Ibrahim Welye, former Secretary to the Adamawa State Government, told newsmen that certain contracts awarded by the former acting governor, including the electrification of Kirshinga Village in Madagali Local Government Area of the State, had no approval.
Welye had in a petition dated May 11, 2015 to the EFCC, alleged that Fintiri fraudulently diverted N497million meant for the construction of a lecture theatre for the Faculty of Law, Adamawa State University, Mubi, laying only the foundation and never completed the project.
The petitioner corroborating his petition said:
“I still stand by the content of my petition regarding the renovation of Adamawa State House of Assembly, the construction of Mararaba Garta to Kamale roads, the construction of road network Malamre Ward in Yola, as well as the reconstruction of five roads and storm water drains in Yola.” The Welye, however, added that he had no knowledge of any virement granted by the State’s House of Assembly, in respect of the projects.
“Investigations reveals that , Ahmadu Umaru (Alias Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri) and Mayim Construction and Properties Limited on the 9th October 2014 did indirectly disguise the origin of the aggregate sum of N550,000,000 (Five Hundred and Fifty Million naira) through a term loan of twelve months purportedly granted to him by Ecobank Plc for the acquisition of a tea plantation farm from Nigeria Agricultural Bank in Taraba State which loan he will repaid within three months as acting Governor of Adamawa State, a fund he diverted to his personal use.
Abdul-Aziz Nyako
Mr.Abdul-Aziz was a Navy Commander before he resigned under controversial circumstances and joined politics. In 2015. He was elected into the senate and has since been there.
Senator Nyako and his father, Admiral Murtalal Nyako rtd who was a former Governor of the state are facing a 37-count charge bordering on corruption.
Senator Nyako and his father were specifically accused of allegedly laundering state funds to the tune N40billion.
Others charged with the money are Zulkifik Abba and Abubakar Aliyu, while the firms allegedly used in laundering the funds are Blue Opal Limited, Sebore Farms & Extension Limited, Pagoda Fortunes Limited, Tower Assets Management Limited and Crust Energy Limited.
Nyako, in connivance with other accused, allegedly diverted the said sum from the Adamawa State treasury between January 2011 and December 2014 during his tenure as governor.
EFCC Documents show the transfer of about N1, 384, 525,000 diverted from the Adamawa State government, during the tenure of Murtala Nyako,
to the account of Crust Energy Limited.
Chinedu Ayogu,a compliance officer with Diamond Bank, corroborate The Finder Newspaper investigation while being led in evidence by O.A. Atolagbe, told the court that the bank received request with respect to some companies linked to the defendants.
“We received a request from the EFCC to provide the account opening packages of Sentinel Production and Exploration Limited and the statements of account which consisted of the Naira and Dollar accounts, and we complied,” Ayogu said.
Ayogu identified the various documents sent to the EFCC in response to the anti-graft agency’s request, which were subsequently tendered as exhibit against them. There was no objection from counsels to the defendants, as to there admissibility, and they were accepted and marked as exhibit AD.