The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it prevented former officials of Kwara state government from misappropriating N10 billion from the treasury between May 24 and May 29.
Isyaku Sharu, EFCC’s zonal head, told journalists on Tuesday that the commission mounted surveillance on the state accounts to prevent last-minute looting by the outgoing administration.
“It has always been a tradition in the country, except to macroscopic few, that whenever any government is exiting, it will indulge in mass pilferage as the last minute golden opportunity,” he said in Ilorin, the state capital.
“Hence, our resolve to mount surveillance on all Kwara state government accounts between May, 24 and 29, 2019, when the states received federal account allocation committee (FAAC), joint account and allocation committee (JAAC), value-added tax (VAT) and tax refund from the federal government to the tune of about N10 billion.
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“I can authoritatively tell you that we saved the state last-minute attempted misappropriation of those billions.”
He said the commission is investigating properties allegedly belonging to civil servants in the state capital.
“You will agree with me that official corruption is the greatest killer as officials who ordinarily supposed to guard and protect state resources turned out to misappropriate them.
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“To this end, the commission beams its searchlight on the state officials and on a credible tip-off, the commission is currently investigating 15 properties in choice areas within Ilorin metropolis. The properties range from hotels, filling stations, residential accommodation to microfinance banks.
“It will shock you to hear that the alleged owners are civil servants, whose earning per month is not more than 90 per cent. Some have confessed to the commission and the matter is in court. In fact, we discovered about N3 billion in the accounts of two of them, who are not up to assistant directors in the ministry.”
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