The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has questioned Kayode Fayemi, the immediate former governor of Ekiti State.
A team of investigators grilled the former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) on allegations of theft of funds totaling N4 billion during his administration.
Recall that in May 2023, it was reported that Fayemi, through his lawyer, Adeola Omotunde, SAN, pleaded with the EFCC to allow him to present a book in honor of former President Muhammadu Buhari on May 19, before honoring the agency’s invitation for questioning over money laundering allegations.
Wilson Uwujaren, the anti-graft agency’s spokesperson, declined to comment on the case.
“I’m sorry I cannot speak on that,” Uwujaren said.
Apart from Fáym, the EFCC has stated that it is also investigating former Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle, on charges of corruption, awarding phantom contracts, and diversion of over N70 billion.
The EFCC stated that it felt obligated to make the development public in light of the departing governor’s recent attempt to throw doubt on the agency’s battle against corruption.
The EFCC’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Osita Nwajah, speaking on behalf of the agency’s Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, made this remark in May while addressing to media at the commission’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
“It is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate,” Nwajah added. Is this an example of a ‘thief’ demanding that he not be touched until other ‘thieves’ are apprehended?
“The real issue with Matawalle is that he is being investigated by the EFCC on allegations of massive corruption, phantom contract awarding, and diversion of over N70 billion.”
“The money, which was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed, was sourced as a loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the state’s local government areas.”
“So far, the commission’s investigations have revealed that over 100 companies have received payments from the funds with no evidence of service to the state.” Some of the contractors who were invited and questioned by the commission revealed surprising revelations about how the governor reportedly compelled them to return monies obtained from state coffers to him through his advisers after converting it to US dollars.
“They confirmed that they did not provide any service to Zamafara State, but were allegedly directed to convert the money paid to them into US dollars and return it to the state governor through some of his commissioners, particularly the commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.”
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