EFCC Investigates Matawalle and Zamfara Gov. Regarding “N70bn Fraud”

According to the anti-graft bureau, the robbery involved more than 100 companies.

Bello Matawalle, the departing governor of Zamfara State, is allegedly being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged N70 billion scam.

According to a statement released by the Commission on Thursday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) power broker is being looked into on allegations of massive corruption, the awarding of fictitious contracts, and the diversion of more than N70 billion.

“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,” the statement said, in part.

According to the Commission’s investigations thus far, more than 100 entities have received payments from the money without providing any proof of state service.

The EFCC stated that some of the contractors had been invited and questioned, and that they had given “startling revelations” about how the governor allegedly forced them to return the money they had received from the state coffers to him through his advisers after having converted it to US dollars.

They acknowledged that they provided no services to the Zamfara State but claimed that they had been instructed to exchange the money they had been paid for US dollars and return it to the governor of the State via some of his commissioners, particularly the Commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.

“The Commission has recovered a total of N300 million from a company, Fezel Nigeria Limited, as part of the broad examination into contracts awarded by the Matawalle administration, mainly for phantom projects in the local government areas. The Zamafara Investment Company was where the money was found.

The EFCC has not yet detained Governor Matawalle since state governors and their deputies in Nigeria have immunity from criminal prosecution while in office.

The four-year single term of Matawalle, who lost his quest for reelection in the state’s March 2023 governorship election, will end on May 29, 2023.