By Yemi Yusuf
Just few days to the end of the current administration, Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched investigations into the activities of 28 outgoing governors and their deputies.
For 18 of these governors and their deputies who will be handing over on May 29 when their constitutional immunity also expires, the EFCC will be swooping in as soon as the inauguration of the new administration concludes in their states, The New Diplomat has learnt.
Most of these governors will be completing their second term in office but one is leaving office after completing a term of four years.
The anti-graft agency has reportedly requested their assets declaration forms from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), in official communication between the two agencies.
Details of the cases the agency has against the officials are not immediately clear, but the commission said in its letter addressed to the chairperson of CCB, Mohammed Isah, that it needs the asset declaration documents to facilitate an ongoing investigation involving corruption.
“This commission is investigating a case in which persons listed in the attached schedule featured,” read the EFCC’s letter dated 11 April and signed by an official on behalf of the EFCC’s chairman, Abduralsheed Bawa.
The letter signed by Umma Sulaiman of the Proceeds of Crime Management Department of the EFCC, contains an annexure of a list of governors with their deputies who either took office in 2015 or 2019. It requested the asset declaration forms submitted at the beginning and the end of the current tenure of the governors and their deputies.
“In order to facilitate the investigation, you are kindly requested to furnish the commission with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Asset Declaration Forms filled by each of the subject for period stated against their respective names.
“Also, you are to forward the Bureau’s examination/verification report of the declared asset,” the letter read, citing section 38(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004, as the basis for the request.”
Apart from the much published case of the governor of Zamfara State, Governor Bello Matawalle whose investigation for alleged N70 billion fraud has led to mudslinging between him and the EFCC, other governors allegedly under investigation include:
Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike; Kano governor, Abdullahi Ganduje; Kebbi governor, Abubakar Bagudu; Niger governor, Abubakar Sani Bello; Benue governor, Samuel Ortom; Cross River governor, Benedict Ayade; Ebonyi governor, Dave Umahi; Abia governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, Delta governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Adamawa governor, Ahmadu Fintiri; Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai; Bauchi governor, Bala Mohammed; Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, Katsina Governor, Aminu Masari, Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Yahaya, Jigawa State‘s Muhammad Abubakar and Plateau governor, Simon Lalong.
Outgoing deputy governors whose names appear together with their governors include; Abia State Deputy Governor Ude Oko Chukwu; Adamawa State Deputy Governor, Crowther Seth; Akwa Ibom Deputy Governor Moses Ekpo; Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Baba Tela; Benue State deputy Governor, Benson Abounu; Borno State Deputy Governor Umar Kadafur; Cross River Deputy Governor Ivara Esu; and Delta State Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro.
Other deputy governors are Ebonyi State’s Eric Igwe; Enugu State’s Cecilia Ezeilo; Gombe State’s Manasseh Jatau; Jigawa State’s Umar Namadi; Kaduna State Hadiza Balarabe; Kano State deputy Governor,Nasir Gawuna; Katsina State’s Mannir Yakubu; Niger State state’s Ahmed Ketso; Kebbi State deputy Samaila Dabai; Kwara State deputy Kayode Alabi; and Lagos State deputy Femi Hamzat.
Others are Nasarawa State Abdullahi Sule and deputy Emmanuel Akabe; Ogun State Dapo Abiodun and deputy Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Oyo State Oluwaseyi Makinde and deputy Adebayo Lawal; Plateau State Simon Lalong and deputy Sonni Tyoden, Rivers State Nyesom Wike and Ipalibo Banigo; Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal and deputy Manni Dan-Iya; Taraba State Darius Ishaku and deputy Haruna Manu; Yobe State Mai-Mala Buni and deputy Idi Gubana and Zamfara State, Matawalle and Hassan Gusau.
