{"id":118598,"date":"2025-05-10T06:49:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T05:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=118598"},"modified":"2025-05-10T06:49:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T05:49:16","slug":"efcc-pledges-action-on-petition-against-matawalle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/efcc-pledges-action-on-petition-against-matawalle\/","title":{"rendered":"EFCC Pledges Action on Petition Against Matawalle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Tracy Moses<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has pledged to take prompt action on a petition demanding an investigation into alleged financial misconduct by the Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The anti-graft agency stated this on Friday, May 9, 2025, at its headquarters, Abuja, following a peaceful protest led by the All Progressives Congress Young Leaders Alliance (APC-YLA).<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The group, led by its convener, Mohammed Ireji, accused the anti-graft agency of dragging its feet despite what they described as overwhelming petitions and documentary evidence against the former Zamfara State governor.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWe are here to formally request the EFCC to reopen investigations into the weighty corruption allegations against Bello Matawalle,\u201d Ireji told journalists outside the EFCC complex. \u201cNigerians are watching. Justice delayed is justice denied.\u201d<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Matawalle, who governed Zamfara State between 2019 and 2023, is accused of mismanaging over N528 billion in public funds.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The amount includes N290 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), N133 billion from the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), and a N105 billion loan reportedly obtained during his tenure, with little evidence of corresponding infrastructural or developmental projects.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThese are not fabricated claims,\u201d Ireji said. \u201cThey are well-documented allegations supported by financial records and multiple petitions, including one submitted by the APC Akida Forum on May 3, 2024, and a follow-up dated September 30, 2024.\u201d<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Receiving the petition on behalf of the EFCC, Acting Director of Security, Idowu Adedeji, assured the group that their concerns would be treated with urgency.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWe have received your petition and will submit it accordingly,\u201d Adedeji said. \u201cAction will not be delayed.\u201d<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The protest adds to growing public pressure on the EFCC to ensure uniform accountability, particularly for former public officials who no longer enjoy constitutional immunity.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The EFCC has in recent months demonstrated increased momentum in tackling high-profile corruption cases. On April 17, 2024, it declared former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello wanted for alleged misappropriation of over N80 billion.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In July of the same year, former Taraba State\u00a0 Governor, Darius Ishaku was arrested and interrogated over similar allegations. By August, the Commission had arraigned the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, for embezzling public funds.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThese cases prove that no one is above the law,\u201d Ireji said. \u201cSo why is Matawalle being treated differently? He no longer holds immunity. We urge the EFCC to demonstrate consistency in its fight against corruption.\u201d<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While reaffirming their confidence in the leadership of EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, the protesters warned that any delay in acting on the Matawalle case could undermine public trust in the Commission.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWe believe in the EFCC\u2019s ability to uphold justice,\u201d Ireji said. \u201cBut Nigerians are tired of selective prosecution. Every corrupt leader, regardless of rank or political affiliation, must be held accountable.\u201d<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Tracy Moses The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has pledged to take prompt action on a petition demanding an investigation into alleged financial misconduct by the Minister of&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":118599,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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