EFCC source told Premium Times: “In the course of investigation, a critical analysis of the Joint State/Local Government account reveals massive cash withdrawals”.
Impeached former governor of Adamawa state, Murtala Nyako has been declared wanted by Nigeria’s apex anti- graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC].
Impeached Governor of Adamawa state, Nyako.
Nyako and his son, Abdul Aziz Murtala Nyako, a retired Naval officer was also declared wanted by the crime fighting agency.
Charges against them, include criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.
The agency said that under Nyako’s administration, top officials were looting massive lumps of money.
These alleged officials include, then Secretary to the State Government, the then State Commissioner for Finance, the then Commissioner for Higher Education, the then Accountant General of the State and the then Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government.
The official said that the then Permanent Secretary of Local Governments made withdrawals of over N2 billion in 181 different transactions, scattered in tranches of N3 million, N4 million, N8 million and N9 million per transaction from the State/Local Government account domiciled with First Bank between 29th of August 2011 and 2012.
He said that another withdrawal accounting up to over N500 million between March 6, 2008, and March 4, 2011, from another Joint account domiciled in Keystone Bank.
“Other officials of the ministry who allegedly looted the Joint Account include Justina Jari, a Principal Accountant with the ministry who made cash withdrawals to the tune of N600 million from the Joint Account between October, 2009 and February, 2011.
“Another staff of the ministry, Abdulhakeem Mohammed was also alleged to have withdrawn about N3 billion from the account between February 2007 and May 2011. Two other staff, Mercy Wanje and Jumai Salihu were also said to have made withdrawals of N1 billion and N160 million from the account respectively,” the source said.
“On a single day, another staff called Haruna Hamali, a principal store officer made a cash withdrawal of over N70 million from the same account,” he said.
“The withdrawals were made and the money returned to top officials of the state government as narrated and confirmed by the officials who made the withdrawals. “The state officials were arrested in connection with the withdrawals and other ongoing investigations,” the source said at the time.
The EFCC had earlier last year in June 2014 frozen Adamawa’s account after Nyako was impeached in what the agency called a precautionary measure to safeguard the state treasury amidst evidence of looting uncovered by its operatives.
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