FORMER Borno State governor Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff has handed himself in to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after the agency threatened to declare him wanted over a N300bn (£978m) corruption scandal.  

Alhaji Sheriff was governor between 2003 and 2011 and is said to have amassed a fortune during his time in office, which partly contributed to the neglect that gave Boko Haram a fertile ground with which to grow. One of Nigeria's wealthiest men, in 2013, Alhaji Sheriff purchased a top-of-the-range Gulfstream G650 private jet at a whopping cost of N11.5bn ($72m) bringing the total number of aircrafts in his private fleet to four. 

Last week, the EFCC threatened to declare Alhaji Sheriff a wanted man, so to avoid arrest, last night, he voluntarily surrendered to the agency for interrogation. According to an EFCC source, Alhaji Sheriff was quizzed over N300bn allegedly taken from the coffers of the state without any work done with it as claimed by his administration. 

“I can confirm to you that the former governor of Borno State is with us and we cannot say for how long our operatives will keep him. We really want to know the truth from him before deciding on whether there is enough evidence to charge him to court or not” 

"We want the former governor to also explain to us how N13bn taken from the local government joint account in the state was used and what it was used for," the EFCC official added. 

Alhaji Sheriff is alleged to have claimed that his administration used the sum of N300bn to execute some infrastructural projects to prepare the ground for the inauguration of the administration of his successor in 2011. However, the anti-graft agency said last night that no such project was executed and the money not accounted for in addition to the N13bn said to have vanished from the state’s local government joint account. 

Last week, the EFCC served notice of its intention to declare Alhaji Sheriff wanted if he continued to ignore his invitations. Alhaji Sheriff is the second former governor to surrender voluntarily this week to answer questions bordering on their tenure. 

Former Adamawa State governor Murtala Nyako, surrendered on Monday and has been admitted to bail on personal recognition. He is facing charges over a N15bn fund alleged to have been laundered during his tenure as governor.