Governor Matawalle: EFCC chairman demanded $2m bribe from me

Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has again accused the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, of demanding $2 million bribe from him.

Matawalle has been in a rift with Bawa after he disclosed that the EFCC chairman sent invitations to all outgoing governors and commissioners in a bid to commence an investigation for alleged corruption and abuse perpetrated by them while in office.

The governor, in a statement he personally issued on Wednesday, May 17, also accused Bawa of being corrupt, especially in the agency’s handling of assets disposal and plea bargain processes.

He added that the EFCC chairman should extend the planned probe to the officials of the Presidency and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Reacting at a press conference at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, May 18, the Director Public Affairs of the commission, Osita Nwajah, said Matawalle’s outburst was tantamount to corruption fighting back, noting that the governor is under investigation for alleged corruption that bordered on contract fraud and diversion of funds meant for the execution of projects in the Local Government Areas of Zamfara State to the tune of N70 billion.

READ ALSO: EFCC: How Zamfara governor stole N70bn state funds

Nwajah stressed that the EFCC has yet to arrest Governor Matawalle due to the immunity governors and their deputies have while in office.

However, Matawalle, in an interview with BBC Hausa, on Thursday, May 18, said he has evidence against Bawa, stressing that the EFCC boss is not an honest person.

The governor said: “It is not just to always blame governors. It is not only governors who have treasury, the Federal Government also has. What does the EFCC boss do to them? As he is claiming he has evidence on governors, let him show to the world evidence of those at the federal level.

“If he exits office, people will surely know he is not an honest person. I have evidence against him.

“Let him vacate office, I am telling you within 10 seconds probably more than 200 people will bring evidences of bribe he collected from them. He knows what he requested from me but I declined.

“He requested a bribe of $2 million from me and I have evidence of this. He knows the house we met, he invited me and told me the conditions. He told me governors were going to his office but I did not. If I don’t have evidence, I won’t say this,” Governor Matawalle stressed.

The anti-graft agency has yet to react to the latest allegation against its chairman as of press time.

The Star