A report on Premium Times has beamed its search-light on corruption cases being pursued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that is focused on Nigerian ex-governors and their sons.
Interestingly, three former governors alongside their sons are facing prosecution from the anti-corruption body over the alleged financial sleaze that occurred in the administration of the former state chief executives.
Read edited excerpts of the report below:
1. Murtala Nyako and son (Adamawa):The former governor who was impeached by members of the then Adamawa state House of Assembly was declared wanted by the EFCC on February 4, 2014, alongside his son, Abdulazeez. They were accused for criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering. The EFCC also swooped on some key officials of the Nyako government and arrested and questioned them over the alleged massive looting of the state’s treasury.
As the EFCC commenced its investigation, they uncovered various questionable cash withdrawals that were made from the Joint State/Local Government account of the state. As at the time of writing this report, Abdulazeez is the senator representing Adamawa Central Senatorial District. The governor’s first son got elected to the upper chamber despite his well publicised trial with the EFCC.
According to the EFCC, Abdulazeez had immense control of the state’s finances to the extent that over N15billion were traced to accounts of five companies owned by him. The dup are on administrative bail as the case still drag on in the courts.
2. Martin Elechi and son (Ebonyi): January 29, 2015, the EFCC arrested Nnanna, the son of the former governor on allegations of money laundry. Nnanna was said to have awarded questionable contracts to his family’s company running into billions of naira, which the EFCC says were never executed till his dad’s tenure elapsed.
Some top officials of the Elechi administration were also invited for questioning by the anti-graft body in Abuja. They were all accused of being part of the fraud that the EFCC said went on unabated under Eelchi’s watch. At the time the EFCC’s investigations were ongoing, the Ebonyi state House of Assembly had made concrete moves to impeach the governor while accusing him of aiding his son to inflate contracts and using state funds for private gains.
Elechi was arrested by the EFCC and was questioned in Abuja after leaving office. He washowever granted partial bail on June 17, 2015 and asked to report to the commission again.
3. Sule Lamido and his sons (Jigawa):The travails of the Lamidos began after the governor’s his first son, Aminu, was arrested by the EFCC in December 2012, with cash amounting to $50, 000 at the Aminu Kano International Airport Kano. When the news wet public, the senior Lamido quickly released a statement debunking the allegations made against his son by the EFCC that he was involved in money laundering.
The former governor claimed Aminu was taking his daughter to an Egyptian hospital for treatment. But barely one year after, Aminu and his brother, Mustapha, were arrested by the EFCC in Kano and flown to Abuja for interrogation by the anti-graft body. Reports surfaced in the media then that monies belonging to the state government were being moved to companies owned by the Lamidos.
For instance, between June 2010 and August 2013, over N1.5billion was paid into an account in Skye Bank belonging to Bamaina Aluminium Limited, a company which has Mr. Lamido and his sons; Aminu and Mustapha as directors, according tot the EFCC.
However, on July 14, 2015, an Abuja high Court granted the trio bail. They were admitted to a N25 million bail bond each, while the court held on to their passports.
Meanwhile, Toyin Saraki, the wife of the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, has said she will honour the invitation by the EFCC. She has also expressed her readiness to assist the commission with its inquiries over corruption allegations leveled against her.
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