NAIJA NEWS
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reignited its investigation into money laundering cases against 13 former governors and several ex-ministers, with the total amount involved surpassing N853.8 billion.
This resurgence in high-profile corruption cases signifies a major step in Nigeria’s fight against financial crimes.
According to Punch, the sum implicated in cases involving the former state leaders and ministers amounts to at least N772.2 billion.
The EFCC is also probing an alleged N81.6 billion embezzlement within the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Additionally, a staggering $2.2 billion is reported to have been misappropriated through money laundering and fund diversion, primarily in the defense sector.
This $2.2 billion was allegedly mishandled by individuals including former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki; late media mogul Raymond Dokpesi; former Sokoto State governor Attahiru Bafarawa; and ex-Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, among others.
The funds, intended for arms procurement to combat terrorism, were reportedly laundered and misappropriated.
Key figures implicated in these cases include ex-governors Kayode Fayemi and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State; Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State; Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan Chime of Enugu State; Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa State; Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State; Peter Odili of Rivers State; Theodore Orji of Abia State; Danjuma Goje of Gombe State; Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto State; Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State; and Sule Lamido of Jigawa State.
These investigations stem from allegations ranging from non-remittance of pension funds to campaign fraud and massive money laundering.
Matawalle, who is currently serving as the Minister of Defence in the administration of President Bola Tinubu, is being probed for alleged N70bn money laundering; while Fayemi, who served as Minister of Solid Minerals Development in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet from November 11, 2015 to May 30, 2018, before resigning to contest the governorship election for his second term, is being investigated for an alleged N4bn fraud, while Fayose, a two-term governor of Ekiti State, is being investigated by the anti-graft agency for an alleged N6.9bn fraud.
Nnamani is being probed for an alleged N5.3bn fraud; Chime is being investigated over an alleged N450m campaign fraud as part of the N23bn allegedly shared by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, while Adamu is under probe for alleged N15bn fraud.
Kwakwanso is being probed for alleged non-remittance of N10bn pension fund; Orji is being investigated over alleged N551bn money laundering; while Odili is similarly being probed for alleged N100bn fraud. It is not yet clear how the probe of the ex-Rivers State governor will be handled as he obtained an order of perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC and other security agencies from a Federal High Court in March 2008, which has not been vacated to date.
Goje is being probed by the commission for an alleged N5bn fraud; Wammako is being investigated for allegedly diverting N15bn; Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum under Buhari, is under probe for alleged N19.2bn money laundering; while Lamido is being investigated over an alleged N1.35bn fraud.
