The Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) has dismissed allegations by the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, that the chairman of the fee, Abdulrasheed Bawa, demanded a two million greenback bribe from him. The governor, who’s at the moment below investigation for corruption, made the allegations throughout an interview with BBC Hausa. He insisted that Bawa couldn’t be trusted and that he was being investigated as a result of he refused to supply the EFCC chairperson the cash he requested from him.
In response, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, issued a press release on Friday night time, dismissing the governor’s allegations and stating that Matawalle has no proof towards Bawa. In accordance with Uwujaren, “Matawalle’s recourse to mudslinging is symptomatic of a drowning man clutching at straws. However regardless of the irritation of his phantom claims, the Fee won’t be drawn right into a mud combat with a suspect below its investigation for corruption and unconscionable pillage of the sources of his state. If Matawalle can be taken critically, he ought to transcend saber-rattling by spilling the beans by offering concrete proof as proof of his allegations”.
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The EFCC’s response comes amid rising rigidity between the fee and the Zamfara State authorities. Matawalle has been at loggerheads with the EFCC since he assumed workplace in 2019. He has accused the fee of concentrating on his administration and utilizing its powers to intimidate and harass authorities officers.
In February, the EFCC arrested the Zamfara State Commissioner for Finance, Rabiu Garba, over alleged fraud and misappropriation of funds. The governor had accused the fee of finishing up the arrest with out his information and demanded Garba’s instant launch. The EFCC, nonetheless, insisted that the arrest was carried out in accordance with due course of and that Garba was being investigated for monetary crimes.
The newest allegations by the governor have additional strained the connection between the EFCC and the Zamfara State authorities. The fee has vowed to proceed with its investigation into the governor’s alleged corruption, regardless of the accusations of bribery. The EFCC has additionally known as on Matawalle to supply concrete proof to again up his claims, saying that it’s going to not be drawn right into a mud combat with a suspect below investigation.
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The allegations by the governor have additionally raised questions in regards to the effectiveness of the EFCC in tackling corruption in Nigeria. The fee has been criticized up to now for being selective in its prosecution of corruption instances and for failing to safe convictions in high-profile instances. The EFCC has, nonetheless, defended its document, saying that it has secured over 2,500 convictions since its inception in 2003.
The EFCC was established to analyze and prosecute instances of financial and monetary crimes in Nigeria. The fee has the facility to analyze and prosecute instances of cash laundering, fraud, and different monetary crimes. The EFCC has additionally been concerned within the restoration of stolen property and the repatriation of funds looted from the Nigerian treasury.
Lately, the EFCC has stepped up its efforts to sort out corruption in Nigeria. The fee has launched a number of high-profile investigations into corruption allegations involving authorities officers and personal people. The EFCC has additionally labored carefully with worldwide legislation enforcement companies to trace down and get better stolen property.
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Regardless of its efforts, nonetheless, corruption stays a significant drawback in Nigeria. The nation has persistently ranked among the many most corrupt nations on the planet, in accordance with Transparency Worldwide’s Corruption Notion Index. The EFCC has known as for higher cooperation from the general public and different stakeholders within the combat towards corruption, saying that it can not succeed with out the help of all Nigerians.