N70b Alleged Fraud: EFCC To Revisit Matawalle’s Cases

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has said the Commission will revisit the case of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mattawalle’s involvement in an alleged sum of N70 billion contract fraud.

Recall TrackNews reported last year that Matawalle was accused of financial embezzlement to the tune of N70 billion between 29th May 2019 to 29th May 29 2023 when he was the governor of Zamfara State.

Matawalle was being investigated by EFCC over the said allegations which involved monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts, and diversion of over N70 billion.

The anti-graft agency said the money was sourced as a loan from an old-generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state, but were allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed.

EFCC’s investigations revealed that more than 100 companies 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.

Meanwhile on Friday, the Zamfara Alternative Forum stormed the EFCC headquarters in protest, urging the commission to revisit the probe.

Speaking during the protest, the group’s spokesperson, Mahmud Abubakar, urged the EFCC to resume its investigation.