Members of a group known as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Loyalists Forum took their protest to the Abuja office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday.
The protesters asked the anti-graft agency to reopen an alleged funds diversion case against Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence.
Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesperson, received the protest letter on behalf of Ola Olukoyede, the commission’s chairman.
BACKGROUND
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In May 2023, the EFCC said it was probing Matawalle for allegedly diverting N70 billion meant for contracts in the state.
Osita Nwajah, EFCC’s director of public affairs at the time, said the sum was allegedly diverted by Matawalle’s “cronies” when he was governor.
“But the real issue with Matawalle is that he is being investigated by the EFCC over allegations of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70 billion,” the EFCC had said.
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“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.”
Matawalle, who was governor of Zamfara from 2019 to 2023, is yet to be arraigned.
The former governor lost his reelection bid in last year’s poll and was subsequently appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu.
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