Zamfara: Shinkafi urges EFCC to prosecute ex-Gov Yari over N251bn fraud

The Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi, has urged the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, to launch an investigation into the tenure of the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, over allegations of misappropriating […]

The Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi, has urged the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, to launch an investigation into the tenure of the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, over allegations of misappropriating N251bn belonging to the state.

Shinkafi in a petition to the EFCC accused the former governor of leaving the state in huge debts.

He accused the former governor of ‘wanton looting and misappropriation’ of the state’s resources.

Giving a breakdown of how the alleged fraud was perpetrated, Shinkafi said the Abdulazi Yari-led administration left liabilities from ongoing projects to the tune N151,190,477,572.02.

“Unremitted national housing fund deductions from salaries from 2016 to 2019 stands at N1,431,645,305,99. The liabilities under the ministry of education which involves external examinations and institutions such as Crescent University Abeokuta, Al-Hikma University Ilorin and Key Science Academy Abuja stands at N2.812.172.155.

“The Committee further discovered that out of the two billion naira approved by the Yari administration for the payment of backlog of gratuity owed to retired workers in the state, only retired permanent secretaries were paid to the tune of only N400,000.00, a whopping sum of one billion six hundred million is unaccounted for.

“We call on the Commission to investigate, prosecute and convict former Governor of Zamfara State Abdulaziz Yari over the misappropriation ,diversion, siphoning and financial recklessness of N251billion as alleged by the Transition Committee Chairman headed by the immediate past Deputy Governor of the Zamfara State Malam Ibrahim Wakkala,” Shinkafi said.

He also appealed to the anti-graft agency to invite the immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Abdulahi Shinkafi, to explain his claim that the Zamfara State government under Mr. Yari spent the sum of N35bn on the procurement of vehicles for security agencies as well as relief materials for Internally Displaces Persons (IDPs) in the state.

He therefore urged the EFCC to invite the former Governor Yari and all the parties involved in the alleged looting of Zamfara State to render account of their stewardship while in office.