Some protesters today (Friday) stormed the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja to demand that the anti-graft agency reopen the case of Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence.
Speaking to the protesters, the EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, assured them that their demand would be passed on to the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede.
He further told them that the commission would ensure that they pursue corruption cases to a logical conclusion.
News About Nigeria gathered that their demand follows accusations against Matawalle that, together with his cabinet, he made away with the official vehicles of the Zamfara state government following the expiration of his tenure as governor.
To this end, the police raided Matawalle’s residences in June 2023, following a court order.
During the raid, the police seized some vehicles claimed to be owned by the former Zamfara State Governor.
The current governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, accused the former governor and cabinet members of taking away all official vehicles belonging to the state government, leaving the present administration with nothing to use.
The governor noted that all efforts by his administration to retrieve the vehicles from Matawalle and his team have proved abortive, as they have refused to return them.
Speaking for the governor, his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said, “Recall that in June, the Zamfara State government gave the former Governor and his deputy five working days to return all official vehicles taken away. All demands for the return of the said vehicles proved abortive, and as a result, the Zamfara State government resorted to obtaining a court order to retrieve them.”