Alleged Fraud: EFCC Grills Zamfara Ex-Gov, Yari
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday grilled a former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, over series of corruption allegations.
Confirming the drilling, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren said Yari honoured EFCC’s invitation after he was invited to answer questions via a letter dated April 6, 2021.
It was learnt that the former governor was invited by the Sokoto office of the EFCC relating to some corrupt allegations and fraud running into billions of naira.
EFCC spokesperson said, “He (Yari) responded to invitation” even as another source said “he honoured the invitation at the Sokoto office at about 11 a.m. on Tuesday and was still with the operatives of the commission as of 7 p.m.
“He has been offered bail, but he has not been able to meet the bail conditions.”
Recall that in February 2021, Yari faced a similar situation when EFCC drilled him over an alleged attempt to illegally move N300 billion from a corporate account in a new generation bank.
He was later released on February 3, after giving a statement to the commission’s Lagos office.
It would be noted that Yari’s run with the EFCC heightened in 2017 over his handling of proceeds of Paris Club refunds.
A court document filed by the commission in 2017 sheds light on the suspicious nature of payments concerning the Paris Club refunds by the Nigeria Governor’s Forum led by Yari then.
The refunds that were over-deducted from the allocations of the 36 state governments in connection with the London and Paris clubs loan between 1995 and 2002
Also, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) had been on Yari’s case after a judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Ijeoma Ojukwu, on January 26, 2021, granted its request and ordered the final forfeiture of funds suspected to be proceeds of corruption found in bank accounts linked to Yari.
It was alleged then that while $56, 056.75 was lodged in Polaris Bank account, the sums of N12.9 million, N11.2 million, $301, 319.99; N217, 388.04 and $311, 872.15 were kept in different Zenith Bank accounts, all in the name of Yari and his companies.
The judge held that the former governor did not show good cause why the order sought by the ICPC should not be granted.
