EFCC declares ex-APC Governor wanted? Fact emerges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied the report that it has declared the former Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State wanted.

Wilson Uwujaren, the antigraft's head of media and publicity, made the denial in a statement on the EFCC page on Twitter on Sunday, June 18. Read mo

The EFCC also denied the claim that it has requested the Department of State Service (DSS) to help in arresting the former governor wherever he was found.

Earlier in the day, a news platform, not Legit.ng reported that ex-Governor Matawalle has been declared wanted by the EFCC over an alleged N70 billion fraud.

But the EFCC in a statement said: "The Commission has its standard procedure for declaring persons wanted and communicating same to the public, not through faceless 'security sources'."

Matawalle, who was the governor of Zamfara State between 2019 and 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has earlier had a verbal engagement with the anti-corruption agency.

After being defeated by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the March 18 governorship election in Zamfara State on his second term bid, the new governor in the state has been after Matawalle over alleged misappropriation of funds and stolen government cars.

The new PDP governor, Dauda Lawal, was reported to have ordered the police to search the ex-governor's house for the missing cars of which 40 vehicles were alleged to have been recovered from Matawalle.

The former APC leader said the cars were bought before he became a governor, he then approached a court to defend himself and the court subsequently ordered the police to return the cars to him. The police reportedly complied with the court order.

EFCC Statement

EFCC Has Not Declared Matawalle Wanted

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a report, entitled, Alleged N70b Fraud: EFCC Declares Ex-Zamfara Gov, Matawalle Wanted, which appeared in the Sunday Tribune of June 18,… pic.twitter.com/PDxoPpEEA5

— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) June 18, 2023