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Tag: Bello Matawalle

  • Bandit: Matawalle reacts to viral video, says political opponents framing him up

    Bandit: Matawalle reacts to viral video, says political opponents framing him up

    The Minister of Defence, Defense Bello Matawalle has warned his political enemies to stop sponsoring a wanted bandit, Bello Turji, to be damaging his name and reputation.

    This was contained in a statement from the office of the Minister, State, Ministry of Defense, issued on Sunday.

    Matawalle blamed some elements within the Zamfara State government of skewing the narrative of insecurity challenges in the state against him.

    The statement was reacting to a viral video clip on social media platforms, linking him with banditry in Zamfara State.

    According to the statement, the Minister specifically accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led administration in the State of the plot to tarnish his name, claiming that his hands were clean.

    “Bello Turji’s audio was unprofessionally synchronised with his video to accuse the former governor of injustice in the conduct of the reconciliation by the then Zamfara State government.

    “However, the video/audio editor unprofessionally disqualified his work so much that one can vividly notice the failure of the audio and video clips to simultaneously synchronise,” he said.

    He blamed the development on the plans of those he described as enemies of Zamfara and Nigeria’s progress, claiming that the same people opposed his ministerial nomination by President Bola Tinubu.

    He further stated that he got the required security clearance from relevant security agencies before the confirmation of his ministerial appointment.

    According to him, he led Zamfara State as Governor with all sense of humility, honesty, and justice, reiterating that the audio-visual in question was unprofessionally concocted and poorly produced to tarnish his image, hence it should be disregarded by the public.

     

     

     

  • How banditry started in Zamfara state-Notorious banditry leader Bello Turji narrates 

    How banditry started in Zamfara state-Notorious banditry leader Bello Turji narrates 

    Notorious Banditry leader Bello Turji, in a five-minute Video responded to a background voice on the journey of banditry in Zamfara state, North-west Nigeria.

    According to him, the Fulani community lived in peace and harmony with their Hausa neighbours until a former governor of the state adopted a partial Sharia Law allegedly to subjugate the Fulanis.

    “I can recall how the former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmad Sani Bakura, implemented the Shariah Law,”  Turji, who entered into a failed truce with former governor Bello Matawalle, claimed.

    “The law started and ended abruptly after a Fulani man (found guilty of stealing) got his hand amputated. In my opinion, I attributed the atrocities in Zamfara State to the stoppage of the law after it was partially used to amputate…”

    Turji said the Bakura-led government took sides with the Hausas in implementing the law. The terror kingpin has amassed wealth from the illegal taxes he imposed on local communities. Named Muhammadu Bello at birth, one of the violent attacks by Mr Turji was in December 2021 when he burnt more than 20 travellers, including pregnant women and children, in Sokoto State.

    A few weeks after that, Mr Turji wrote an open letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari and the emir of Shinkafi, outlining the terms of a ceasefire in the North-west and requesting a peace agreement. In the letter, he said he was ready to surrender his arms if his five conditions were met.

    He listed the conditions as dissolution of unofficial vigilante groups in the North-west, a meeting with traditional rulers and religious leaders, a stop to the ‘marginalisation’ of Fulanis, honest discussions between bandits, traditional rulers and politicians, and the participation of first-class emirs in a security meeting.

    This was after the failed truce with the Zamfara state government in 2019. Turji is among the 97 terrorists wanted wanted by the Defence Headquarters. He had escaped death twice after the air component of Operation Hadarin Daji bombed his house in 2021 and 2022. The air raids killed many of h

     

  • Protest against Matawalle sheer envy, vendetta – APC

    Protest against Matawalle sheer envy, vendetta – APC

    The Zamfara chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed a recent protest against Minister of State for Defence, Mr Bello Matawalle as the handiwork of political rivals rattled by his rising political profile.

    A statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the state APC spokesman, Yusuf Idris, said those orchestrating the campaign of calumny against Matawalle were driven by envy and vendetta.

    He said that organising “rented crowd and miscreants” would only end in embarrassment to those sponsoring the protests, meant to push the EFCC to investigate the former Zamfara governor.

    “Unfortunately, the issue being raised is an overflogged one. In fact, if the claims were true, the EFCC would have since made the details available to the public,” he added.

    According to him, the protesters and their sponsors are ignorant of national laws, constitutional and judicial process in the operations of anti graft agencies against suspects.

    He appreciated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for telling the protesters that the commission “is not driven by personal vendetta, political differences and tribal sentiments, but focused on upholding the rule of law and combating financial crimes without fear or favour”.

    Idris said that the aim of those sponsoring the protests was to distract Matawalle from carrying out his assigned national responsibility for the progress and development of the nation.

    “At the party level, we know these people and we know their antics and political strength (if they have any) and we want to assure them that their envy against Matawalle will lead them nowhere.

    “The Minister who is the APC leader in Zamfara, has since moved on with his life and has always shown readiness to work with anyone for the progress of Zamfara and Nigeria.

    “The party leadership at all levels is with him, and ready to defend the policies and programmes of President Bola Tinubu at all levels,” the state APC Publicity Secretary added.

    He said that the APC in Zamfara implored the minister to continue with the efforts to achieve peace and security throughout Nigeria, to enable citizens go about their legitimate businesses without fear.

    “He should not be distracted by the anti-progressive elements who don’t mean well for Zamfara and Nigeria,” Idris added.

  • Bello Matawalle and the controversial 50 vehicles – By Godwin Etakibuebu

    Bello Matawalle and the controversial 50 vehicles – By Godwin Etakibuebu

    Albatross practically is a very large, chiefly white Oceanic bird, with long, narrow wings, found mainly in the Southern Oceans. It is of the family [Diomedeidae] of large web-footed seabirds that have long slender wings, are excellent gliders, and include the largest seabirds.

    It is a special specie of God’s creation. There is need to know a little more about it before coming to access what it might be representing in humans’ relationship. 

    Without such little understanding, it might be difficult to understand how and why Bello Matawalle could be President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ALBATROSS. For now, he – Bello Matawalle, is surely one. Or doesn’t he? Let us know a little more about the bird first.

    Albatross feeds on fishes, cephalopods, jellyfish and sometimes crustaceans. It also eats penguin and seal carrion. It is a big, well-mannered bird of friendly, even playful disposition, with an abundant curiosity as to human presence and activities within the realm of open Ocean over which it presides.

    Here are some special characteristics of Albatross:

    • It has the largest wingspan of any living bird.
    • It can go years without touching land.
    • It can live and raise chicks into their 60s.
    • It mates for life, with some wiggle room.
    • It courts each other with elaborate mating dances.
    • It can smell food in the water from miles away.
    • In addition, Albatrosses are indeed capable of flying up to 10,000 miles in a single journey and circumnavigate the earth in 46 days.

    Oh, there are more than described above standing good qualities the Albatross can be associated with. Yes, such good and beautiful qualities. However, and this is the place of question mark, the earlier Sailors of human history, saw and sensed philosophically; the dead bird hanging on their necks. How practical that could have been should be left only to the conjectures of those wise sailors of internationally exposure.

    Those sailors however drew a conclusion that it is a heavy burden one cannot escape, and being kept from doing what one wants to do, and such burden traditionally comes with bad luck.

    What the interpretation of those sailors meant is that when one is identified as having an Albatross hanging around his, or her neck, it means that such person could cause great problems from which the bearer could not escape from, preventing one from doing what one wants to do, or even limiting one from achieving one’s goals of laudable targets. Albatross presence in one’s life remains a mysterious bad omen.

    Bello Matawalle, the incumbent Minister of State in the Ministry of Defense was the immediate past Executive Governor of Zamfara State – North-East Nigeria. 

    He won the election in 2019 to become the governor of the State on the platform of the People Democratic Party, not necessarily by the strength of his political party then, but by the fact that the All Progressives Congress conducted an anti-democratic Primary, which was the reason the Judiciary – finally sealed by the Supreme Court, disqualified all offices contested for by the APC in the State. This made it easier for the PDP to clear all elective offices in the State. 

    Bello Matawale, having been sworn-in as Governor, did not waste time carpet-crossing from the PDP to the APC on the calculation of not being able to win a second tenue in 2023, if he remained in the PDP – just the way the typical Nigerian politician’s cookie crumbles. Unfortunately, he failed to win the governorship’s election when the chicken came home to roost in 2023. 

    Why did he fail to win that election despite the bags of money – even in foreign currency available to him? The answer to this question may have to wait till another day as the Economic and Financial Crime Commission [EFCC] was not allowed to open the corruptive “cans of worn” said to have been hanging on the dethroned Governor – Bello Matawale.

    Ab initio, the then Executive Chairman of the EFCC; Abdulrasheed Bawa, had alleged that the governor had fraudulently stolen the Zamfara State people’s money – amounting to N75bn for his personal investment. 

    “We are waiting to charge him to court for fraud once his tenure as governor expires,” was the promise given by the EFCC Chairman, on one hand. While in the other hand, the Governor himself – Bello Matawalle, came out smoking, by saying that he had evidence to prove that the EFCC’s Chairman – Abdulrasheed Bawa, demanded a bribe of $2m from him and his – the governor, refusal to give the money to Bawa triggered the anger of the latter to the accusation levelled against him.

    Bello Matawalle’s counter was well noted by Nigerians, except that two very important facts were missing from the Governor’s counterclaim.

    First was his failure to tell Nigerian people the purpose of the EFCC Chairman demanding the whopping sum of 2 million American Dollars for. Simply put, the sum of money he alleged Bawa demanded from him “was in leu of what? He would have helped his audience, ditto Nigerians, if he were able to just give the narration what was the reason, or what was to be “covered” for him by the anti-corruption Czar for demanding for such amount of stupendous money. His failure to give this simple explanation left his reaction to the allegation in confusing conjecture.

    The second thing he did not say is to clear the part of the interrogation if he was being paid American Dollar as a Governor or Nigerian Naira. If his salaries and all allowances – as a Governor were paid in Nigerian Naira, how come Bawa would approach him, demanding for bribe in American Dollar? His failure to provide this simply answer, again, left his navigational chart of the voyage to anchorage in nimble.

    Unfortunately, Bola Tinubu, having been sworn-in on May 29, 2023, as President, gotten Abdulrasheed Bawa suspended from office and arrested, kept in detention for close to 80 days before retiring him from Service. While, in the other hand, Bello Matawalle was gloriously picked, in an anointing way, and appointed as Minister of State, to defend Nigeria and Nigerians.

    While the Accuser languished away – albeit illegally, in detention, the Accused; without being asked to answer to any of the allegations levelled against him; allegations properly documented in files, was gloriously taken to the Palace of the Nigerian State’s Defender; albeit the way the Nigerian trajectory of justice’s prosecution [cookie] crumbles.

    That was the immediate past of Bello Matawalle, and the route he passed to the gate of the Palace of the Country’s Defender. Won’t you say it was a route paved with Gold? Let us therefore return to the NOW – the present Matawalle, as a Defender of the Nigerian State Territorial, and its Integrity. 

    What we are going to read next here, shall be a Nigerian Court of competent jurisdiction’s judgement on the same Bello Matawalle about the number of Vehicles belonging to the people and government of Zamfara State which he illegally carted awau to his homes in Zamfara State, having lost out as Governor.

    If what you are about to read is a Court’s judgement, shall there be any doubt that the act the Court’s judgement is based upon amounted to stealing? Read the allegations of the Zamfara State Government against the former Governor, the counterclaims of the Governor, and then finally, the judgement of Honourable Court. We shall return with the judgment of this author in the ending paragraph.

    JUST-IN: COURT ORDERS RETRIEVAL OF 50 OFFICIAL VEHICLES FROM EX-ZAMFARA GOV MATAWALLE

    A Federal High Court, sitting in Sokoto, Sokoto State, has dismissed a suit filed by the immediate-past governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, over the ownership of about 50 vehicles said to belong to Zamfara State government.

    Recall that in June, the Zamfara State Police Command had raided the former Governor Matawalle’s residences and seized official vehicles taken away by him while leaving office as governor of the State on May 29, 2023, as ordered by the court.

    A statement by the Spokesperson of the Zamfara State Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, on Monday, said that the Sokoto division of the Federal High Court rejected Matawalle’s claims of ownership of the official vehicles in question.

    According to the statement, the former governor and his cabinet members had taken away all official vehicles belonging to the state government, leaving the present administration with nothing to use.

    The statement read in parts: “Recall that in June, the Zamfara State Government gave the former governor and his deputy five working days to return all official vehicles taken away.

    “All demands for the return of the said vehicles proved abortive, and as a result, the Zamfara State Government resorted to obtaining a court order to retrieve them. In pursuit of that order, a total number of over 50 vehicles were recovered by the police.

    “After the vehicles were recovered, Bello Matawalle quickly went to the Federal High Court in Gusau. The court granted an order for the cars to be returned to him. Additionally, he filed a separate suit at the same court, seeking to enforce his fundamental right to own property, including the vehicles in question.

    “The Zamfara State Government requested the transfer of the case to another jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

    “The Federal High Court of Nigeria, Sokoto Judicial Division, dismissed the matter on Friday. The court refused the reliefs sought by Bello Matawalle and rejected his claim to the ownership of the official vehicles. As a result, the vehicles are still considered the property of the Zamfara State Government.

    “Our government is committed to recovering all that rightfully belongs to the people through an all-encompassing rescue mission that leaves no stone unturned.

    “The judgment by the Federal High Court will encourage us to ensure that justice prevails and all perpetrators of financial banditry in Zamfara are brought to book.”

    With this Court’s judgment, can there be any seasoned, sound, versatile, articulate, and sane Nigerian that will say that Bello Matawalle might not be an Albatross on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda’s neck?

    Most unfortunately, there are too many Matawalles in the present government. And that has become the most unfortunately Dilemma of Nigerians!

    Godwin Etakibuebu; a Veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.

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    You can also listen to this author [Godwin Etakibuebu] every Monday; 9:30 – 11am on Lagos Talk 91.3 FM live, in a weekly review of topical issues. 

  • We won’t relent in fighting criminal elements – Matawalle

    We won’t relent in fighting criminal elements – Matawalle

    The Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji  Bello Matawalle says that the Armed Forces will not relent in fighting criminal elements and adversaries of the nation.

    Matawalle said this on Tuesday when he visited victims of the Nigerian Army drone attack, who were receiving treatment at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna.

    The accidental drone attack by the Nigerian Army led to the death of scores of innocent citizens observing Maulid at Tudun Biri village, Igabi Local Government on Sunday night.

    NAN also reports that Matawalle was  accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and other senior military officers.

    Matawalle said that the visit, which was to ensure succour to the victims and their families, was directed by President Bola Tinubu.

    He added that the ministry would take the responsibility of all the medical bills of the victims.

    The minister also said that arrangements would be made to ensure that such incidences do not recur in the country.

    “We are not going to relent, we must give those terrorists a bloody nose, we will keep fighting them till we succeed in the course of ensuring security and safety of the lives and properties of the citizens in the entire country,”he said.

    Describing the incident as unfortunate, Matawalle urged the public to pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased while calling for calm.

    The minister and his entourage visited the Kaduna State Government House, to commiserate with the people and government of the state.

    They were received by the Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, where they charted ways to forestall the recurrence of the unfortunate incident and the enhancement of general security in the state.

     

  • FG has achieved a lot in fight against oil theft – Defence minister

    FG has achieved a lot in fight against oil theft – Defence minister

    The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, says the Federal Government has achieved a lot in the fight against oil theft.

    Matawalle, during an interview in Abuja, said that many practical gains had been recorded in the resolve to end oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

    He also said that the country was hopeful of producing 1.9 million barrels of crude oil per day before the end of the year.

    “Before now, due to oil theft activities in the Niger Delta region, oil production dropped to about one million barrels per day.

    “But, with the Federal Government’s actions and the onslaught of the combined military against oil thieves, the production stands at 1.7 million barrels per day currently.

    “We are hoping that at the end of this year, we will reach about 1.9 million barrels per day,” he said.

    He revealed that measures had been put together at the Naval headquarters to detect and know all that is happening in the stream and all maritime areas.

    “We are taking serious actions. Operations have been conducted in that area. Most of the illegal panels were destroyed, most of the people were arrested and, with the level we are today, we are okay,” Matawalle said.

    The minister said that the ministry was working in synergy with all the security agencies.

    “We work together by sharing intelligence. We shall continue to work together,” he declared.

    He added that the lack of synergy among security agencies had also been addressed and there has been an improved relationship among them, unlike before.

    “So, I can tell you that we have no problem of synergy as of now. They are all working together,” he said.

    On the number of sponsors and financiers of Boko Haram terrorists arrested or prosecuted, the minister said that action had been taken against them.

    “Be rest assured that action has been taken and we recorded lots of successes by the security agencies.

    “Many people were arrested and investigation is ongoing; further action will be taken after the investigation is completed,” he said.

     

  • Matawalle embezzled billions from Zamfara Airport – Gov Lawal alleges

    Matawalle embezzled billions from Zamfara Airport – Gov Lawal alleges

    Governor Dauda Lawal has alleged the immediate past administration of Bello Matawalle embezzled billions of Naira from the Zamfara Airport, which was subsequently abandoned.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this was contained in a statement released on Thursday by Sulaiman Bala Idris, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Governor Lawal.

    The Government accused the previous administration of a dubious transaction of N6,775,949,561.50 for an abandoned Cargo Airport project in the state capital.

    In the statement, issued in Gusau, Idris disclosed that the government was shocked to discover the previous administration’s substantial financial mismanagement of the abandoned Zamfara Cargo Airport project.

    He added that Governor Lawal’s administration will bring those responsible for financial recklessness to justice.

    The statement read in parts: “Upon assuming office, Governor Dauda Lawal, to determine the progress of work done and the corresponding value to monies paid to contractors directed for the assessment and identification of the best approach to timely completion of the project constituted a five-member committee for that task and to further review among other things pre-contract activities.

    “The committee’s report disclosed, amongst other things, that Avic International Engineering Limited provided engineering and architectural designs. The report revealed that the contractors produced contract bills of quantities without the input of the relevant departments of government in vetting the designs, specifications, and bills. In contrast, contract documents were unavailable at the time of contract award.

    “The contract was awarded to Avic International Engineering Limited vide contract notifications No. FGPC/SEC/NOT/2019/055 dated 15th May 2019 in the sum of N11,551,899,123.00 0nly. The committee also found that the preliminary approvals from the relevant regulatory bodies in the aviation industry were not obtained before the commencement of work on the project.

    “A consultant, BJ Aerotronic Limited, was employed to take charge of the project and to obtain all the necessary approvals from the relevant regulatory bodies only after work had commenced on the site. Payments were made to the contractors without valuation and essential certification from the relevant Agencies of Government.

    “Therefore, the committee suggests discrepancies between the contract Bills of Quantities and engineering, architectural designs and specifications.

    “Total net payments made to the contractors were 30% as Advance Payment of the sum of N3,465,569,736.90 by Ministry of Finance (MOF) on June 19, 2020; the sum of N2,310,379,824.60 by Ministry of Finance (MOF) was again paid as the second instalment on June 19, 2020, in the name of a loan, (a term not familiar in governments’ contract procedures and management’); another payment of N825,000,000.00 by Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs (MLGCA) was made as the third instalment on October 25, 2021.

    “These payments amounted to N6, 600, 989, 561.50. After which N125,000,000.00 was paid to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on January 31, 2022, while BJ Aerotronic Limited was paid N50,000,000.00 on January 31, 2022, supposedly as a consultancy fee.

    “Of all the payments, only the advance payment had payment vouchers, with mandates available in the other payments. There were no indications of any deductions for Value Added Tax (VAT), Withholding tax and other taxes.

    “The administration of former Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle made a total payment of N6,775,949,561.50 on the abandoned project whose completion level was less than 20%.

    “Furthermore, evaluations carried out by four different independent firms of experts and relevant agencies of government have shown that the total value of work done is N2,249,636,040.73, representing 19.47% overall.

    “It is our finding that the payments made to the contractors were not only incommensurate with the level of work executed but grossly incomparable with work done.

    “The committee concluded that the contractors were no longer interested in executing and completing the project, taking into cognisance the fraudulent ways the project has been carried out, because the project’s life span had elapsed, and the contractor did neither attempt nor show any intention to apply for an extension of time to continue with the work.

    “After all the evaluations carried out by the four reputable consultants, the contractors are supposed to refund the Zamfara State government over N4,526,313,520.77.

    “As a responsible government, we will continue to pursue all cases of mismanagement and ensure that what rightfully belongs to Zamfara is returned for the benefit of its people, and anyone involved in the mismanagement is brought to book.”

  • May 29: Gov. Matawalle dissolves cabinet

    May 29: Gov. Matawalle dissolves cabinet

    Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, on Sunday dissolved the State Executive Council and relieved all political appointees of their jobs.

    An official statement, signed and issued by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs, Dr Lawal Hussein, said the dissolution takes immediate effect.

    According to the statement, the officers affected by the dissolution include members of the State Executive Council, all Commissioners and Special Advises.

    The directives also affect Chairmen of Boards and Commissions except State Civil Service Commission, State Independent Electoral Commission, State Judicial Service Commission and State House of Assembly Service Commission.

    The governor also dissolved all non-career Directors General, all Chief Executives of extra-ministerial departments, agencies and companies which are politically based, including all Sole Administrators of the 14 Local Government Councils, all Secretaries of the 14 Local Government Councils, all Councilors of the 14 Local Government Councils and all Area Development Councils.

    The affected public officers are directed to hand over the affairs of their organisations to officers next in command.

    The Chairmen of the affected Boards and Commissions are to hand over to secretaries of their respective organizations, while Sole Administrators of the 14 Local Government Councils are to hand over to their respective Directors of Administration.

    Gov Matawalle expressed his appreciation and best wishes to all public officers affected by this development for their individual and collective contributions to the development of the State during his term in office.

    Matawalle also thanked the people of the state for their cooperation and support during his stewardship.

  • EFCC denies chairman received $2m bribe from Matawalle

    EFCC denies chairman received $2m bribe from Matawalle

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied it’s Chairman, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa received a $2m bribe from Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State.

    Spokesperson for the Commission, Mr Wilson Uwujiaren made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday.

    Uwujiaren said the attention of the commission was drawn to a trending interview granted to the Hausa Service of the BBC by the governor of Zamfara, where he made the bribery allegations.

    According to him, Matawalle’s recourse to untrue story is symptomatic of a drowning man clutching at straws.

    “Despite the irritation of his phantom claims, the commission will not be drawn into a mud fight with a suspect under its investigation for corruption and unconscionable pillage of the resources of his state.

    “If Matawalle will be taken seriously, he should go beyond sabre-rattling by spilling the beans – provide concrete evidence as proof of his allegations,” he said.

    Uwujiaren said the public should also be notified about plans by some of the alleged corrupt politically exposed persons to flee the country ahead of May 29.

    “The commission is working in close collaboration with its international partners to frustrate these escape plans and bring those involved to justice,” he added.

  • Surrender to us after handover, EFCC tells Gov Matawalle

    Surrender to us after handover, EFCC tells Gov Matawalle

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has advised Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle to surrender after handover over alleged N70billion fraud.

    Recall it was earlier reported that EFCC said it was currently probing Matawalle and there was therefore apprehension at the Government House, Gusau.

    Also, Matawalle of Zamfara had accused the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, of being corrupt.

    The governor, in a press statement on Wednesday, personally signed by him and sent to media channels, had said Bawa should also surrender himself for investigation.

    According to Matawalle, he and some eminent Nigerians have evidence to substantiate Bawa’s corrupt practices and abuse of office.

    Meanwhile, in a press release, the anti-graft agency on Thursday said Matawalle would be arrested as soon as he handed over on May 29.

    “The Commission would like to put the nation on notice to expect more of the kind of wild allegations made by Matawalle as those at the receiving end of EFCC’s investigations, fight viciously back.

    “But the real issue with Matawalle is that he is being investigated by the EFCC, over allegation of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70billion.

    “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 Commission’s investigations so far reveal that more than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state. Some of the contractors who had been invited and quizzed by the Commission, made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting the same to United States Dollars.

    “They confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara state but were allegedly directed to convert the monies paid to them into United States Dollar and return to the State governor through some of his commissioners, notably the Commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.

    “One of the contractors, a popular Abuja property developer, collected N6billion on a N10billion contract without rendering any service to Zamfara state. Another contractor collected over N3billion for a contract for the supply of medical equipment but the Commission traced a payment of N400million from his account to a Bureau de Change operator. The contractor confessed the payment was to procure the dollar equivalent allegedly for the state governor.

    “As part of the extensive investigation of contracts awarded by the Matawalle administration, especially for phantom projects in the local government areas, the Commission has recovered a sum of N300million from a company, Fezel Nigeria Limited. The funds were traced to the Zamafara Investment Company.

    “The EFCC investigation is the source of anxiety in Government House, Gusau, with the governor in mortal dread of his fate once he steps down as governor on May 29. In Nigeria state governors and their deputies enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution while in office, a reason the EFCC has yet to arrest Governor Matawalle.”