Caleb Onwe 
A group known as All Progressives Congress (APC) Akida Forum ( AAF), on Monday stormed the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) demanding the arrest and prosecution of the former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mohammed Matawalle over financial misappropriation.
The group, while submitting a petition to the EFCC against the former governor, decried the commission’s delay in taking action, after the first petition it submitted five months ago on the same matter.
Chairman of AAF, Mallam Musa Mahmoud said the group has captured in its petition about N395 billion which the former governor needs to account for.
Mahmoud noted that the whopping amount of money was funds variously received from both the Federal Account Allocation Committee ( FAAC) and the Joint Account Allocation Committee ( JAAC) between 2019-2023.
From the petition the group submitted, they said, the former governor “ needs to account for over N290 billion from the FAAC and N133 billion from the JAAC that he received from 2019 to 2023. Additionally, he is also expected to explain the N105 billion loan he took during his tenure as the governor of Zamfara state”.
According to them, “These are not mere allegations or speculations. After our last visit to this commission’s headquarters, we thought the investigation would reopen, but nothing has happened.
“ We are confident that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has access to all the facts regarding financial crimes in the country. Nevertheless, we feel it is necessary to determine the total funds that the Zamfara State Government received between 2019 and 2023 under Bello Matawalle”.
Earlier in his remarks, the EFCC’s Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale who addressed the protesters, said the Chairman of the Commission would give adequate attention to the petition of the group.
Oyewale, who commended the group for being peaceful in its protest, stated that the Commission has respect for the people’s constitutional rights to protest and hold public officers accountable.
