Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may soon invite former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai for questioning over an alleged mismanagement of N423 billion.
This is even as the EFCC has assembled a team of operatives to investigate El-Rufai, those who served as Finance commissioners from May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2023; all the accountants-general in the eight years that his administration lasted and the chairmen of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) from 2018 to 2023.
Others are all the managing directors of the Kaduna Market Development and Management Company Ltd from May 29, 2015, to May 29, 2023; and all the Managing Directors of Kaduna Roads Agency (KADRA) from October 11, 2017, to November 2021 except Amina Ja’afar Ladan, an engineer who spent only one month in office.
Recall that the ad-hoc committee of the Kaduna House of Assembly uncovered that about N423,115,028,072.88 was siphoned from the coffers of the state government under El-Rufai’s time as governor — from 2015 to 2023.
It also noted that a cumulative withdrawal of $1.4 million from the Kaduna State Economic Transformation Account.
The house panel has asked eight people and companies to refund N19, 239,511,099.76, while 15 contractors have been asked to refund N36, 351,126,811.65 as “being monies paid for work either not done, overpayment or diversion”.
“We are in receipt of a petition from an NGO. So, we have started investigation in the matters raised in the petition,” an EFCC source told TheNation on the condition of anonymity.
“The report of the ad-hoc committee of the Kaduna State House of Assembly is also handy. We will soon invite El-Rufai and some members of his team for interrogation.
“The special task force on Monday, June 10, held a long session on the contents of the petition and the report of the ad-hoc committee.
“The report of the House of Assembly has actually laid a solid foundation for the probe by our team,” the source added.
