Protest against Matawalle in Abuja
Members of the All Progressives Congress Young Leaders Alliance (APC-YLA) on Friday picketed the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja.
They demanded for the immediate resumption of investigations into alleged corruption involving Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence.
The group, which describes itself as a socio-political pressure organisation based in Kaduna, accused the EFCC of going silent on the case despite multiple petitions and earlier commitments to investigate the former Zamfara governor.
In a letter submitted during the protest, the group questioned why the anti-graft agency has not taken action against Matawalle despite alleged financial misconduct from 2019 to 2023.
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“We write to formally request that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reopen the investigation into allegations of corruption against Bello Mohammed Matawalle, minister of state for defence,” the group said.
They alleged that Matawalle misled the public when he claimed during a recent live television appearance that his administration did not receive anything close to N70 billion throughout its four-year duration.
They added that official records and financial statements from the period directly contradict the minister’s public claim.
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Speaking with reporters, Mohammed Ireyi, spokesperson of the APC-YLA, said the EFCC’s selective silence on the case raises questions about neutrality in the agency’s operations.
“If former governors and ministers like Betta Edu, Yahaya Bello and Darius Ishaku have been investigated or arrested, why is Matawalle being shielded?” Isah asked.
“Who is stopping the EFCC from doing its job?”
The group also referenced a May 2023 statement by the EFCC’s then spokesperson, Osita Nwajah, who confirmed that the commission was probing Matawalle over “monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70 billion”.
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The APC-YLA urged the commission to resume the probe to “uphold its credibility and neutrality in the fight against corruption in Nigeria”.
Idowu Adedeji, acting director of security at the EFCC, received the letter from the group and promised to forward it to his superiors.
In May 2024, the EFCC said it will conduct a thorough investigation into the allegation against Matawalle.
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