The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has committed to investigating allegations of financial mismanagement during the tenure of former Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle, following a petition from the APC Akida Forum.
On Monday, members of the forum, led by Mahmud Mohammed, visited the EFCC headquarters in Abuja to submit their petition, accusing Matawalle of misappropriating N528 billion in state funds.
Matawalle’s administration has faced increasing scrutiny regarding allegations of corruption and mismanagement, with this latest petition calling for accountability. The APC Akida Forum claims that Matawalle received N290 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), N133 billion from the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), and took out a N105 billion loan during his time in office.
Dele Oyewale, EFCC Spokesman, addressed the demonstrators, assuring them that the commission would thoroughly investigate any allegations of economic and financial crimes. He emphasized the EFCC’s commitment to tackling corruption in Nigeria, noting that several former governors and ministers are currently under investigation for similar misconduct.
“The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, will do everything within his power to investigate economic and financial crimes. We have been doing it and will continue to do it. I also want to express that the Commission recognizes the rights of Nigerians to peaceful protest. This protest is peaceful, and Nigerians have a right to it. You can be sure that we’re going to relay this message to the Executive Chairman and necessary action will be taken,” Oyewale stated.
Earlier, members of the APC Akida Forum expressed optimism that the investigation would foster transparency and accountability in governance. Mohammed remarked, “We urge the EFCC to probe former Gov. Bello Matawalle to account for over N290 billion FAAC, N133 billion JAAC from 2019-2023, and the N105 billion loan he took as Zamfara State Governor. We are the APC Akida Forum, a socio-political pressure group headquartered in Kaduna State. We lodged a petition at the EFCC headquarters on May 3, 2024, urging the commission to investigate the former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mohammed Matawalle.”
