A civil society organisation, the Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development (PAPS), has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez Yari, over the alleged misappropriation of over N900billion belonging to the state during his eight years in office.
The group, in a petition addressed to the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Intelligence Financial Unit (NFIU), vowed to go to court to obtain an order of mandamus compelling the anti-graft agencies to investigate the former Governor in line with the laws setting them up.
The group stated that in the fight against corruption there should be no sacred cows, selective justice and favouritism, and that Yari being a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and close confidant Of Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari should not be shielded from investigation and prosecution on the allegations against him.
In the petition dated June 30,2020 and sent to the EFCC, ICPC and NFIU and signed by PAPS chairman, Alhaji Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi, the group cited the interim report of the State’s project verification committee, transition committee report, local government project committee report as revealing some of the misapplication of funds that occurred on Yari’s watch
Shinkafi stated that “the state government under Yari received N10bn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for infrastructural projects across the state at 9% per annum with 20 years tenor and the ECA was issued as collateral. The state government received N17,569,000,000.00 at 9% with one-year moratorium and for a ten year tenor through the CBN and N48,224,609,042.91 as Paris Fund refund. The state also received N37billion as refunds for federal roads from the Federal Ministry of Works on the eve of the expiration of the tenure of the Yari administration and the funds cannot be traced by the present administration.”
He alleged that “the N600billion received from the Federal Account Allocation Committee from May 29, 2011 to May 29, 2019 were all misappropriated without proper documentation, accountability, over invoicing and siphoning of the said funds. The Yari Administration left over N57,996,730,718.30 as loans from Commercial Banks.
