The Kogi Government has reacted to the recent detention of one Ali Bello said to be a nephew of Governor Yahaya Bello and Dauda Sulaiman over alleged misappropriation of over N10 billion belonging to the state.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned and remanded Ali and Sulaiman as well as Abdulsalami Hudu, a cashier with Kogi state government, on a 10-count charge of misappropriation and money laundering.
EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement on Thursday, said the trio withdrew the money from the state coffers for personal use.
They pleaded non guilty to charges and the court ordered that they should be remanded, pending the perfection of the bail condition imposed on them.
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However, in a statement by its Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, on Thursday, Kogi government accused EFCC of tarnishing the image of the state.
Fanwo said the arraignment and detention of the state officials was a deliberate attempt to witch-hunt the government.
The statement read: “It is pertinent to draw the attention of the general public to the fact that the desperation of the EFCC to crucify Kogi State at all costs may have landed them in another trouble.
“Unlike the EFCC that has been known for serial contempt of court under the current leadership; we are committed to allow the law to take its due course on the matter and our innocence, again, proven beyond reasonable doubt.
It would be recalled that this same EFCC once accused the Kogi State Government of stashing 20 billion naira bailout funds in a fixed deposit account in Sterling Bank.
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“When the legal fireworks were about to ruffle their biased feathers, they quickly backed out and claimed the money had been returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria. Till date, they have not shown Nigerians any proof of the return even when Sterling Bank Plc has under oath denied the return of any monies belonging to the Kogi State Government. It is trite that what does not exist cannot be taken or returned.
The state government said the media trial by the EFCC is a calculated and orchestrated plan to embarrass the State Government by going after its Officials and Associates with trumped up charges to satisfy the destructive fangs of their paymasters.
“Let it be on record that no money belonging to the Kogi State Government was laundered. SFTAS is a World Bank accountability project to ensure the Government stays accountable to the people.
“For many years, Kogi has won Awards as one of the most transparent State Governments in Nigeria. A responsible anti-graft agency would have made Kogi an example of transparency and excellence. However, with its endless wild goose chase, Nigerians would even wonder if EFCC’s obviously biased corruption binoculars are only designed for Kogi State.
“It is not unexpected that the EFCC would feel disappointed that the monies they claimed had been stolen from the coffers of the state have been used to build Nigeria’s best hospitals, good roads, best schools that are about to be commissioned. We cannot help their descent into political pawn. We will continue to make the resources of our state work for our people.
“Nigerians know that the recent Gestapo-like operation against the State was occasioned by EFCC’s failure to sell the “fixed” Bailout funds debacle to the people. They became desperate to save their face from the disgrace bestowed on them by their “Destroy Kogi” Agenda.