The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has vowed to revisit the probe of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mattawalle, over alleged N70bn money laundering while he was the Zamfara State governor.
Olukoyede made the development known in Abuja on Friday through the EFCC’s acting Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, who spoke with journalists following a protest by the Zamfara Alternative Forum at the EFCC headquarters, Jabi, Abuja.
Members of the group stormed the EFCC headquarters on Friday in protest, urging the commission to revisit the probe.
Speaking during the protest, the group’s spokesperson, Mahmud Abubakar, urged the EFCC to resume its investigation.
He said, “The Zamfara Alternative Forum urges the EFCC to resume its investigation of former Governor Bello Matawalle over the N70bn fraud uncovered by the commission during his tenure as governor of Zamfara State.
“This will serve as a deterrent to others considering engaging in corrupt practices in public office, especially in addition to what happened to the humanitarian minister.
“The mismanagement of public funds has far-reaching effects on the people and the state. It leads to a lack of development, a loss of revenue, and a decrease in the quality of life for the people.”
Reacting to the development, Uwujaren said, “I want to thank the Zamfara Alternative Forum for doing this peacefully. We like this kind of peaceful protest and initiative by young Nigerians. I want to assure you that, as far as the commission is concerned, nobody is above the law.
“What the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, has done since assuming office is that he has reviewed all the high-profile cases he inherited.
