The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied allegations that it wanted Bello Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara State, in widely circulated stories.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had been asked by the EFCC to arrest Matawalle wherever he is found in the nation, a senior security source had earlier revealed to the Sunday Tribune.
The now-suspended EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, accused Matawalle of requesting a $2 million bribe from him prior to the conclusion of his term. The anti-corruption organization has refuted this claim.
Matawalle criticized the EFCC for focusing on governors while disregarding federal officials with substantial budget allocations in a Hausa Service interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
A security officer responded by rhetorically asking journalists, “Have you seen him anywhere lately?” in response to their inquiries regarding the former governor’s location.
However, the EFCC referred to the rumors that it was looking into Matawalle as untrue in an official statement that was posted on its Twitter account on Sunday.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a report, entitled, Alleged N70b Fraud: EFCC Declares Ex-Zamfara Gov, Matawalle Wanted, which appeared in the Sunday Tribune of June 18, 2023, and purports that the Commission had declared a former Zamafara State governor, Bello Matawalle wanted and requested the Department of State Service, DSS, to arrest him, “anywhere he is seen”.
“Without prejudice to the case involving the former governor, the report is incorrect as the Commission has yet to declare Matawalle wanted or solicit the assistance of any Agency, including the DSS, to effect his arrest.
“The Commission has a standard procedure for declaring persons wanted and communicating the same to the public, not through faceless “security sources”.
