The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced its intention to reopen the investigation into the alleged N70 billion fraud case involving Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence and former governor of Zamfara State (2019-2023). This decision follows a peaceful protest by the Zamfara Alternative Forum (ZAF), who demanded the resumption of the probe at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja. The EFCC’s acting Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwajuren, assured the protestors that nobody is above the law, confirming that Chairman Ola Olukoyede had reviewed high-profile cases, including Matawalle’s.
Uwajuren stated that the EFCC believes in revisiting cases to ensure transparency and justice. ZAF spokesperson Mahmud Abubakar commended the EFCC’s commitment to fighting corruption and urged the agency to continue the investigation, emphasizing the need to address potential mismanagement of public funds during Matawalle’s governorship. The protest letter referred to President Bola Tinubu’s recent actions against corruption, highlighting the suspension of Minister Betta Edu for similar allegations.
The N70 billion fraud case, dating back to May 2023, involves allegations of monumental corruption, phantom contracts, and diversion of funds intended for local government projects. The EFCC claimed that the funds were allegedly diverted through proxies, with contractors receiving payments for unexecuted work. The companies involved purportedly confirmed that they did not provide any services to Zamfara State but were directed to convert the payments into hard currency and return them to the state governor. The EFCC, committed to thorough investigations, stated they would proceed if wrongdoing is established.
