Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has made a serious accusation against Abdulrasheed Bawa, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
News About Nigeria reports that the governor claimed that Bawa demanded a bribe of $2 million from him.
This accusation comes amidst an escalating conflict between the governor and the anti-corruption agency.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Matawalle called for Bawa’s resignation, stating that the EFCC chairman needs to address allegations of corruption.
However, Bawa promptly responded, asserting that he has nothing to hide and urging Matawalle to present any evidence he may have to the appropriate authorities.
During an interview with BBC Hausa, Governor Matawalle reiterated his lack of trust in Bawa.
He emphasized that it is unfair to solely blame governors for corruption since the federal government also holds a treasury.
He questioned why the EFCC chairman focuses only on governors and challenged him to provide evidence of corruption at the federal level.
Governor Matawalle further stated that if Bawa were to leave his position, it would expose his lack of honesty.
According to the governor, he possesses evidence of the $2 million bribe that Bawa allegedly requested from him.
Matawalle claimed that Bawa invited him to a specific location and outlined the conditions for receiving the bribe.
The governor maintained that while other governors may have succumbed to Bawa’s demands, he refused to participate.
Matawalle confidently declared that he would present his evidence, and within a short span of time, numerous individuals would come forward with their own accounts of bribes collected by Bawa.
When reached for a response, Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesperson of the EFCC, stated that he had not yet seen the news story and, therefore, could not provide a comment.
Upon learning that the interview was conducted in BBC Hausa, Uwujaren expressed his inability to understand the language and requested the link to the story for a proper response. As of the time of reporting, he had not issued any further statement.
Governor Matawalle’s accusation against the EFCC chairman is a serious matter that underscores the deteriorating relationship between the governor and the anti-graft agency.
The governor’s call for Bawa’s resignation and his claims of having evidence of bribery demand thorough investigation and evaluation.
These allegations cast a shadow of doubt on the integrity of the EFCC chairman and raise concerns about potential corruption within the agency itself.
It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold and what actions will be taken to address the allegations.
