The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is under growing pressure to reopen its investigation into the alleged corruption case of former Zamfara State governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle.
The renewed call comes from the All Progressive Congress Young Leaders Alliance (APC-YLA), a Kaduna-based pressure group that submitted a fresh petition to the anti-graft agency on Friday.
The group, which protested at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, in the petition signed by its chairman and convener, Comrade Muhammad Ahmad Isah, questioned why Matawalle’s case appears to have stalled despite previous investigations and available documentation on alleged financial misappropriation.
The petition was received by Acting Director of Security, EFCC, Idowu Adedeji, who promised to forward it to his superior.
The former governor was initially under investigation by the anti-corruption agency during the tenure of Abdulrasheed Bawa for allegedly pocketing of N70 billion from the Zamfara State government coffers.
In May 2024, the EFCC assured that it will conduct a thorough investigation into the allegation against Matawalle.
The EFCC said the governor allegedly siphoned Zamfara’s funds sourced as a loan from an old-generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects in local councils in the state.
The Commission’s investigations revealed that over 100 companies had received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state.
But Matawalle then accused the EFCC of targeting only governors while ignoring officials with budgetary allocation at the federal level.
The group lamented that many petitions have been submitted to the EFCC to reopen the investigation but nothing has been heard on the matter.
The group said: “Many petitions were submitted at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), notable ones submitted by the APC Akida Forum on May 3rd, 2024, and a follow-up petition on September 30th, 2024, urging the commission to proceed with its investigation of the former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mohammed Matawalle.
“We have lauded the performance and resilience of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) leadership in its fight against corruption without bias many times.
“The commission has shown determination and persistence in addressing corrupt officials, particularly by promptly taking action against former minister Betta Edu and others. We have witnessed the commission launch an investigation into the alleged corruption of former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. Last year, the commissioner arrested former Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State over alleged corruption.
“If all these former governors and ministers were not above the law and the EFCC, who would shield the former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, from investigation? He is not a governor now. Who is stopping EFCC from doing its work?
The group expressed concern that the Commission’s silence might undermine its credibility, especially in light of Matawalle’s public denial on a recent television appearance where he claimed not to have received anything close to N70 billion while in office.
It called for transparency and equal treatment in the anti-corruption war, warning that continued silence on Matawalle’s case could send the wrong message to the public.
