The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has quizzed two former local government chairmen and a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Bauchi State over an alleged N85.75m election fraud.
The affected people are a former Chairman, Bauchi LGA, Bala Maigoro, a former Caretaker Chairman, Alkaleri LGA, Bala Abdullahi and an ex-chairman of the PDP in the Warji LGA, Alhaji Sama’ila Maigwanjo.
The men were interrogated by the EFCC at its Gombe Zonal Office.
This is just as a former chairman of the PDP in Bogoro LGA, Andrew Adamu, refunded N6m to the EFCC as part of funds disbursed to the LGA in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.
This was made known by the spokesman for the Gombe Zonal Office of the EFCC, Gbenga Aroyehun, in an email sent to journalists in Bauchi on Wednesday.
He said Maigoro who was quizzed for N48.02m told the operatives of the EFCC during interrogation that he signed and collected the said amount on behalf of the local government in the presence of a former member of the House of Representatives from the state, Aminu Mohammed, and the former caretaker chairman of the local government, Umar Aliyu, who signed as a witness.
He said, “Maigoro also told the EFCC that the money was disbursed through the stakeholders of the local government among whom were, the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Bauchi State, Mr. Mukhtar Abubakar, a former member of the state House of Assembly, Danlami Ahmed, and Mohammed Umar who was the Secretary of the Stakeholders Committee.
“They said the money was given to them out of the N500m that was disbursed to Bauchi State before the 2015 general elections.
“The suspects reported to the zonal office of the commission except Mukhtar Abubakar and agreed to return the money to the commission.”
The EFCC spokesman said Bala Abdullahi and Alhaji Sama’ila Maigwanjo were interrogated for receiving N37.73m that was shared to the two LGAs before the 2015 general elections.
He said Abdullahi told the operatives of the anti-graft agency that he signed and collected N23. 97m for his LGA in the presence of a former Governor of the state, Isa Yuguda, his Chief of Staff, Yusuf Gumli, and a former member of the state House of Assembly; while Mohammed Gidado signed as a witness.
He said, “Investigation by the EFCC revealed how the PDP stakeholders in the council shared the money, in which Bala Abdullahi collected N10.66m for three wards.
“Mohammed Gidado collected N8.05m for his district while Abdulkadir Ibrahim collected N5.26m for three wards. Maigwanjo admitted that he signed and collected N13.76m for Warji LGA in the presence of the former member of the House of Representatives, Ningi and Warji Federal Constituency, Abdulrazaq Zaki and the former Caretaker Chairman, Warji LGA, Adamu Yahaya, who signed as a witness for the collection of the money.”
Aroyehun stated that Maigwanjo told the EFCC that the money was disbursed to six PDP stakeholders in the area.
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