List Of Ex-Govs Under Investigation for Alleged Corruption, Money embezzlement – EFCC
Recently, the EFCC has been probing some former governors over allegations of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, money laundering, embezzlement of funds
While the EFCC has been investigating and prosecuting some former governors for corruption, the agency did not release any list of 58 individuals under investigation. The EFCC urged the public to disregard the report and clarified that it does not lynch or try individuals in the media, but rather follows the legal process to investigate and prosecute cases.
He said the “so-called list is a disingenuous fabrication designed to achieve motives known only to the authors.”
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, feels obliged to dissociate itself from a phantom report circulating in sections of the media claiming it has released a full list of ex- governors being investigated for alleged corruption,” the statement read.
“The report headlined: “EFCC Releases Full List of 58 Ex- Governors that Embezzled N2 .187 Trillion”, in one of the news outlets, is false and mischievous as the Commission neither issued the said list nor entertained discussions on investigation of ex-governors with any news medium.”
The anti-graft agency urged the public to disregard the report, saying “it is false and misleading.”
It also urged media practitioners to crosscheck facts about matters under investigation with the Commission to avoid misleading the public with false and inaccurate reports.
Recently, the EFCC has been probing some former governors over allegations of corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
Among them is the former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who is being arraigned on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.
According to the EFCC, the embattled ex-governor withdrew $720,000 from the state’s accounts to pay his child’s school fees in advance just before he left office on January 27, 2024.
Briefing journalists at the Commission’s headquarters in the Jabi area of Abuja, on April 23, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede alleged that Bello moved the money from the state coffers to a Bureau de Change operator, and used the money for his child’s school fee in advance.
He said, “A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to Bureau de Change (and) used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance.
“Over $720,000 or thereabout, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House. In a poor state like Kogi? And you want me to close my eyes under the guise of ‘I’m being used’. Used by who? At this stage of my life? Used by who?
“I didn’t initiate the case; I inherited the case. I called for the case file and I said there are issues here.”