The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dismissed the allegations by Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, that the agency was witch- hunting him for refusing to give its Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa $2m bribe.
According to a report by Premium Times, the spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement on Friday night urged the outgoing Zamfara governor to provide evidence to support his claim.
Uwujaren, in the statement, described the governor as a suspect under investigation who would not be given dignified attention.
He said: ” The Commission will not be drawn into a mud fight with a suspect under its investigation for corruption and unconscionable pillage of the resources of his state.
” If Matawalle will be taken seriously, he should go beyond sabre- rattling by spilling the beans- provide concrete evidence as proof of his allegations. ”
Uwujaren also alerted the public about plans by some of the alleged corrupt politically exposed persons to flee the country ahead of May 29.
” The commission is working in close collaboration with its international partners to frustrate these escape plans and bring those involved to justice, ” he added.
This development is coming after Governor Matawalle’ s recent bribery allegations levelled against the Chairman of EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
The Zamfara state governor, during an interview with BBC Hausa, claimed that Bawa had demanded a $2 million bribe from him and questioned Bawa’ s integrity.
Matawalle vowed to produce evidence of Bawa’ s corruption once the Chairman leaves office, promising that others will also come forward with similar allegations.
” If he exits office, people will surely know he is not an honest person. I have evidence against him. Let him vacate the office, I am telling you within 10 seconds probably more than 200 people will bring evidence of bribes he collected from them. He knows what he requested from me but I declined” . Governor Matawalle said during an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday.
