Niger Governor Claims N6bn Recovered by EFCC Belongs to State Government

 EFCC files charges against Babangida Aliyu

By Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in  Minna

Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, yesterday said the N6 billion discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the accounts of a former public official was stolen from the account of Niger State Government.

Bello, who made this claim while speaking with journalists in Aso Rock, provided details of how the money was allegedly stolen, after joining President Muhammadu Buhari and some other Muslim faithful for Juma’at prayer.

This is as the EFCC allegedly files a 95 count charges against former governor of the state, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu who has been in detention for some weeks in Abuja after he anti-graft agency invited him for questioning.

An online medium, Premium Times, had reported that the EFCC was considering declaring a former Commissioner of Local Government in Niger State, Kantigi Liman, wanted after a further N2 billion was traced to his United Bank for Africa account by the agency.

The discovery reportedly brought to N6 billion, funds traced to accounts owned by the politician and companies linked to him. The commission had weeks earlier reportedly traced N4 billion to two GT Bank accounts linked to Liman.

The first account is said to belong to Sadiq Air Travel Agency Limited while the second belongs to Liman.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, was said to have disclosed that the money was discovered following a report by a whistle blower.

But Bello, while laying claim to the money yesterday, said he believed that the recovered N6 billion would be returned to Niger State’s account.

“I’m aware that the EFCC is investigating the ecological funds. At the inception of this administration, we realised that the ecological funds disappeared. I did not have any evidence that it was utilised to address any ecological issues and we are faced with major ecological problems especially in Mokwa, Agaie, Bida, part of Minna, Rafin Gora and Mariga. “We are doing our best to address the ecological problems. We need funds and unfortunately the N2 billion that was given to the state was not judiciously used to address the ecological challenges.

“If it had been used properly maybe our burden might have been reduced by now, but we are having sleepless nights over ecological issues and we are still approaching the Federal Government to assist us,” Bello said.

The case against Aliyu was filed on Thursday at the Niger State High court by a 14 man team from the legal department of the EFCC in Abuja.

 Former governor Aliyu had been detained for more than two weeks at the EFCC cells in Abuja since he was invited from his Abuja home.

THISDAY learnt that the EFCC operatives arrived Minna at about 2.15 pm on Thursday in two buses, one conveying the operatives while the other ferried heavily armed police men.

They went to the office of the State Chief Judge who immediately assigned the case to the second most senior judge in the state, Justice Aliyu Maiyaki.

After about two hours in the court of Justice Maiyaki, the operatives drove back to Abuja.

 Details of the case were not available as at press time on Friday but a source said it bordered on misappropriation of public funds.

THISDAY gathered that the case may come up for mention before justice Maiyaki on Tuesday. It was also learnt that lawyers from a private chamber in Minna also last Thursday filed the application for the bail of the former governor before the same court.

 Only last Thursday a coalition of concerned youths in the state declared the continued incarceration of former governor Aliyu as “undemocratic and highhandedness” and therefore asked the EFCC to charge him to court or release him on bail.