From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Executive Director of a pressure group, Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD), Dr Abdulahi Shinkafi, has refuted the report that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited him over allegations of N1 billion fraud.
In a statement he issued in Abuja on Friday, Shinkafi explained that he was invited to the EFCC Zonal office in Sokoto for clarification of the petitions he earlier sent to the anti-corruption agency over looting of Zamfara State public funds.
The statement read: “it would be recalled that we had petitioned the EFCC demanding the investigation of the misappropriation and diversion of the N499 Million meant for the purchase of fertilizers. Our group, in the said petition to the Chairman of the Commission, routed through the Sokoto Zonal Office of the EFCC, had demanded the Commission to invite, investigate and possibly prosecute those involved for illegal withdrawals, misappropriation of funds belonging to the Zamfara State government.
“We had alleged that “the fertilizer Dealers Associations in Zamfara State deposited the sum of N370,800,000, which is equivalent to the value of 103 trucks and 278 bags of fertilizer into Zamfara State Agricultural Supply Company Limited Fertilizer Sales Account.”
He further stated that PAPSD had also petitioned EFCC asking it to invite, investigate and possibly prosecute those involved in the alleged diversion of over N365 million from the accounts of a local government under the guise of sponsoring ulamas to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.
“You would also recall that there is petition I wrote against a Law firm for illegal deduction and diversion of N1,088,000,000 in the name of Consultancy services for processing of bail out funds. The principal partner of the law firm was invited by EFCC Zonal Head office for clarification. He write statements on the petition and clearly stated that the sum of N980,000,000 was paid to a proxy in 98 instalments by bank draft which was admitted as evidence for the transactions yet after he was granted bail he sued EFCC, former Zonal Head commandant, Zamfara State Government and myself as Co dependent for violation of fundamental human rights.
“The EFCC zonal head office Sokoto invited me to harmonise and adopt my statements of defence for the final determination of the suit slated for October 5, 2021.
“It was later translated to political propaganda, empty blackmail and mischief making to divert the attention of the members of the public against the stealing, diversion, abuse of office and award of fictitious contracts and looting of public funds belonging to the peoples of Zamfara State for personal enrichment,” he defended.