Members of a group known as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Loyalists Forum took their protest to the Abuja office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday.
The protesters asked the anti-graft agency to reopen an alleged fund diversion case against Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence.
Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesperson, received the protest letter on behalf of Ola Olukoyede, the commission’s chairman.
BACKGROUND
In May 2023, the EFCC said it was probing Matawalle for allegedly diverting N70 billion meant for contracts in the state.
Osita Nwajah, EFCC’s director of public affairs at the time, said the sum was allegedly diverted by Matawalle’s “cronies” when he was governor.
“But the real issue with Matawalle is that he is being investigated by the EFCC over allegations of monumental corruption, the award of phantom contracts, and the diversion of over N70 billion.
Matawalle, who was governor of Zamfara from 2019 to 2023, is yet to be arraigned.
The former governor lost his reelection bid in last year’s poll and was subsequently appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu.
