The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC says it has returned the N19.3 billion bailout funds reportedly hidden by the Kogi State Government to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
The Commission had earlier announced that the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello stashed the money in a Sterling Bank account but the Kogi State Government had denied hiding the money, accusing the EFCC of mischief.
But in a statement, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said the money had been transferred to the apex bank.
In his words, “The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has acknowledged the receipt of the sum of Nineteen Billion, Three Hundred and Thirty-three Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-three Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty-three Naira, Thirty-six Kobo, recovered by the EFCC from the Kogi State Salary Bailout account domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc.
This effectively puts to rest the campaign of misinformation and unconscionable denials by the Kogi State Government that no fund was recovered from its bail out account.”
He added that the CBN in a letter referenced, DFD/DIR/CON/EXT/01/099 and dated 9th November, 2021 informed the Executive Chairman, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa that it has received the money.
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On August 31, 2021, Justice Tijani Garba Ringim, a vacation Judge, had ordered the freezing of the Kogi State Government’s account, following an ex-parte application filed by the EFCC.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government has reacted to the EFCC statement that it returned N19.3 billion bailout funds reportedly hidden in the Sterling Bank account to the CBN.
State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement said the Government would prepare a comprehensive response to the moves by the Commission to save its face in view of its obvious goof and unethical conduct in the matter in dispute.
Fanwo in the statement vowed that the State would take legal action to maintain the “innocence and transparency” of the government, like it has previously manitined.
According to the Commissioner, the EFCC has finally exposed the fact that it has been pursuing a political agenda all along following the inconsistent manner it has played games with the allegations.
For the records, the statement restated its stands that Kogi State Government did not operate an account with the bank as affirmed in a letter by the bank, sympathising with the EFCC as it has been a herculean task to cover the initial misinformation and deliberate deceit by the Commission.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
