The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that it will reexamine the alleged N70 billion fraud case against Bello Matawalle, who currently serves as the Minister of State for Defence.
The accusations stem from his tenure as the governor of Zamfara State from 2019 to 2023.
The commitment to reinvestigate the case follows a peaceful protest by youths affiliated with the Zamfara Alternative Forum (ZAF). They visited the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, urging the resumption of the probe.
Wilson Uwajuren, the acting Director of Public Affairs for the EFCC, acknowledged the protesters’ peaceful approach and assured them that the Commission operates on the principle that “nobody is above the law.”
Uwajuren disclosed that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had undertaken a review of all high-profile cases upon assuming office, emphasizing that the Matawalle case would not be an exception.
He emphasized the EFCC’s commitment to addressing cases without bias, stating, “This case will be revisited because EFCC believes that no case should be swept under the rug. If our investigation establishes wrongdoing, we will proceed with the matter.”
Mahmud Abubakar, the spokesperson for ZAF, urged the anti-graft agency to persist in the investigation, pointing to concerns of potential mismanagement of public funds during Matawalle’s governorship.
Abubakar praised President Bola Tinubu’s anti-corruption stance and drew parallels with the recent suspension of Minister Betta Edu for similar allegations.
The protest letter from ZAF urged the EFCC to revisit the corruption case against Bello Matawalle, accusing him of embezzling 70 billion Naira.
The origins of the case trace back to May 2023 when the EFCC initiated an investigation into Matawalle for alleged “monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts, and diversion of over N70 billion.”
The Commission claimed that the funds, originally designated as a loan for local government projects, were allegedly diverted through intermediaries and contractors who received payments for work that was never executed.
The EFCC also revealed that the implicated companies confirmed they did not provide any services to Zamfara State.
Instead, they purportedly received instructions to convert the payments into United States Dollars (hard currency) and return them to the state governor through some of his commissioners, notably those overseeing Finance and Local Government Affairs.
