Gov Bello battles EFCC chairman over return of N19.3bn Kogi hidden salary bailout funds to CBN

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State may be battling the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, over the return of the N19.3 billion bailout fund, the commission said it discovered was hidden in a Sterling Bank account by the Kogi State Government, to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The CBN, according to the EFCC, had acknowledged the return of the N19.3 billion naira to its coffers, in a letter to the chairman of the commission.

Kogi State government had consistently denied ownership of the N19.3 billing deposited in Sterling Bank Plc. Following the persistent denial, the EFCC withdrew its suit at a federal high court and returned the money to the CBN.

The Kogi State Government, however, took on the EFCC over the statement that the commission returned N19.3 billion bailout funds EFCC said it discovered was hidden in the Sterling Bank account to the CBN.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, had in a statement declared that the State Government would make comprehensive statement on the EFCC claim in order to redeem the image of the government; noting that the commission obviously goofed and engaged in unethical conduct in the controversial N19.3 billion.

Fanwo threatened that the Kogi State would sue the EFCC to affirm the “innocence and transparency” of the government, like it has previously maintained.

The Information Commissioner declared that “the EFCC has finally exposed the fact that it has been pursuing a political agenda all along following the inconsistent manner it has played games with the allegations.

“For the records, the statement restated its stands that Kogi State Government did not operate an account with the bank as affirmed in a letter by the bank, sympathising with the EFCC as it has been a herculean task to cover the initial misinformation and deliberate deceit by the Commission.”

The EFCC and Kogi State government has been at loggerhead over the N19.3 billion the commission said was hidden by the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello in a Sterling Bank account. The Kogi State government denied ownership of the hidden fund, accusing EFCC of mischief.

The EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, had in a statement indicated that the N19.3 billion had been returned to the CBN.

Uwujaren had declared: “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has acknowledged the receipt of the sum of Nineteen Billion, Three Hundred and Thirty-three Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-three Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty-three Naira, Thirty-six Kobo, recovered by the EFCC from the Kogi State Salary Bailout account domiciled in Sterling Bank Plc.

“This effectively puts to rest the campaign of misinformation and unconscionable denials by the Kogi State Government that no fund was recovered from its bail out account.”

Uwujaren maintained that “the CBN in a letter referenced, DFD/DIR/CON/EXT/01/099 and dated 9th November, 2021 informed the Executive Chairman, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, that it has received the money.”

A vacation Judge, Justice Tijani Garba Ringim, on August 31, 2021, ordered the freezing of the Kogi State Government’s account, while delivering judgement on an ex-parte application by the EFCC.