Ten former governors are facing the heat of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the law enforcement agency has stepped up its fight against corruption.
According to a report by Vanguard, the EFCC has closed in on ten former governors who are standing trial for looting the treasury of their states when they were in power.
The ten suspects are:
Lucky Igbinedion (former governor of Edo state)
Chimaroke Nnamani (former governor of Enugu State)
Orji Uzor Kalu (former governor of Abia State)
Saminu Turaki (former governor of Jigawa state)
Joshua Dariye (former governor of Plateau state)
Abubakar Audu (former governor of Kogi state)
Danjuma Goje (former governor of Gombe state)
Aliyu Akwe Doma (former governor of Nasarrawa state)
Jolly Nyame (former governor of Taraba state)
Ali Modu Sheriff (a former governor of Borno state)
Addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja, the Head of Media and Publicity of the Commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the ten suspects (Ex-governors) will be brought before the anti-graft agency to account for the huge sum of money said to have stolen.
Mr. Uwujaren however revealed that case of corrupt enrichment against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has been temporarily suspended following his election as the governor of the state in line with the immunity clause in the Constitution of Nigeria.
The commission noted that apart from seizing the assets of the most of the suspects, it has also frozen the accounts of companies linked to the former governors. It added that the sum of N65 billion has so far recovered from the suspects.
Former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff has been cautioned by the Law enforcement agency.
According to the commission, Ali Sheriff might be declared wanted if he fails to honour its invitation to answer some questions bordering on a petition against him.
The commission added that the sum of $245 million, £693,000 and €62,000 has also been recovered from the corrupt individuals and organisations between 2012 and 2014.
After years of devastating effects from corruption, Nigeria (Africa’s most populous country) has become a wasteland. It’s not a coincidence that Nigeria is now a centre for different kinds of corruption parasites.