Matawalle’s $2m bribe allegation against Bawa is false

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied outgoing Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle’s claim that its chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, demanded $2 million from him as a bribe. -wine.

Mr Matawall, in an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, accused Mr Bawa of asking for the bribe.

The governor is under investigation by the anti-corruption agency over the alleged pocketing of 70 billion naira from Zamfara state government coffers.

The EFCC said the governor allegedly misappropriated Zamfaras funds from a loan from an older generation bank allegedly for running projects in local governments in the state. The anti-corruption commission said the governor used proxies who posed as contractors for the projects and were paid but did not carry out the projects.

In the interview, Mr. Matawall accused the EFCC of only targeting governors while ignoring officials with a budget allocation at the federal level.

It is not fair to always blame governors. It’s not just the governors who have the treasury, the federal government has it too. What does the boss of the EFCC do to them? As he claims to have evidence on governors, let him show the global evidence of those at the federal level.

If he leaves office, people will surely know that he is not an honest person. I have evidence against him. Let him leave the office, I’m telling you in 10 seconds, probably more than 200 people will show proof of the bribes he collected from them. He knows what he asked me but I refused.

He asked me for a two million dollar bribe and I have proof of it. He knows the house we met, he invited me and told me the conditions. He told me that governors go to his office, but I didn’t. If I don’t have proof, I won’t say that,” the governor said in the interview.

But in a swift response, EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren challenged the governor to provide evidence to back up his claim. Mr Uwujaren said the commission would not be embroiled in a mud fight with a suspect being investigated for corruption and unconscionable plunder of his state’s resources.

“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to a trending interview given to the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, by Bello Muhammed Matawalle, Governor of Zamfara State, where he allegedly made allegations of savage corruption against the Executive Chairperson of the Commission, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa

“(Mr.) Matawalle’s use of denigration is symptomatic of a drowning man clinging to straws. But despite the annoyance of its ghostly claims, the Commission won’t get drawn into a mud fight with a suspect under investigation for corruption and unconscionable plunder of his state’s resources.

ALSO READ: Why Zamfara Governor Won’t Respond to EFCC 70 Billion Naira Fraud Allegations – Official

“If Matawalle will be taken seriously, he should go beyond the saber in spilling the beans – providing concrete evidence as proof of his allegations,” Mr Uwujaren said.

Meanwhile, the official said the commission was working with international partners to foil a plan by some suspected corrupt officials to flee Nigeria by May 29.

“Once again, the Commission wishes to alert the public to the plans of some of the alleged corrupt politically exposed persons to flee the country before May 29.

“The Commission is working closely with its international partners to thwart these escape plans and bring those involved to justice,” the official said in his statement.

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