A former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, who returned to Nigeria after nearly a year on self-imposed exile, has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Mr. Nyako was still at the commission’s office in Abuja by 5 p.m. Monday. He was said to have surrendered himself to the commission Monday afternoon.
Mr. Nyako, who was impeached on July 16, 2014, was declared wanted by the anti-graft agency on February 4.
The EFCC had declared Mr. Nyako and his son, AbdulAziz Murtala Nyako, a retired naval officer, wanted for alleged criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.
The commission alleged massive looting of state funds by top officials in Mr. Nyako’s government leading to the arrest of key officials in the state including, the then Secretary to the State Government, the State Commissioner for Finance, the Commissioner for Higher Education, the Accountant General of the State and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government.
The EFCC, at the time, said its investigation was triggered by petitions alleging massive looting of the treasury by the governor and his cronies through an illegal department called Special Programme and Project Units, SPPU.
“In the course of investigation, a critical analysis of the Joint State/Local Government account reveals massive cash withdrawals,” a source at the commission had told PREMIUM TIMES.
The Permanent Secretary of Local Governments was accused of making cash withdrawals of over N2 billion in 181 different transactions, scattered in tranches of N3 million, N4 million, N8 million and N9 million per transaction from the State/Local Government account domiciled with First Bank between 29th of August 2011 and 2012.
He also allegedly made similar cash withdrawals amounting to over N500 million between March 6, 2008, and March 4, 2011, from another Joint account domiciled in Keystone Bank, the source added.
“Other officials of the ministry who allegedly looted the Joint Account include Justina Jari, a Principal Accountant with the ministry who made cash withdrawals to the tune of N600 million from the Joint Account between October, 2009 and February, 2011.
“Another staff of the ministry, Abdulhakeem Mohammed was also alleged to have withdrawn about N3 billion from the account between February 2007 and May 2011. Two other staff, Mercy Wanje and Jumai Salihu were also said to have made withdrawals of N1 billion and N160 million from the account respectively,” the source said.
“On a single day, another staff called Haruna Hamali, a principal store officer made a cash withdrawal of over N70 million from the same account,” he said.
“The withdrawals were made and the money returned to top officials of the state government as narrated and confirmed by the officials who made the withdrawals.
“The state officials were arrested in connection with the withdrawals and other ongoing investigations,” the EFCC official said at the time.
Mr. Nyako left the country and only returned to Nigeria on Saturday. Sources in the commission said the ex-governor may have reappeared and reported himself to the commission, knowing that his game is up.
Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC’s spokesperson could not be reached as at the time of filing this report. His mobile number was switched off.
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