Calls To Reopen Corruption Case Against Matawalle Intensifies, As Protesters Storm EFCC Office

By Akinwale Kasali

Bello Matawalle, Minister of State, Defence, former Governor of Zamfara State is in troubled waters. Calls on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to reopen the corruption case against him have intensified.

Protesters have besieged the EFCC Headquarters Office in Abuja, demanding that the Commission reopen investigation against the former Governor.

The Protesters were received by the  EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, on behalf of the Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede. He assured the protesters that the Commission would pursue corruption cases to a logical conclusion.

It would be recalled that in 2023, the anti graft agency had stormed the residence of Matawalle and seized a number of vehicles as ordered by the court.

The incumbent Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, had in a Statement through his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said that the Federal High Court rejected Bello Matawalle’s claims over the ownership of the official vehicles.

According to him, the former Governor and his cabinet members had taken away all official vehicles belonging to the state government, leaving the present administration with nothing to use.

The statement said, “Recall that in June 2023, the Zamfara State government gave the former Governor and his deputy five working days to return all official vehicles taken away.

“All demands for the return of the said vehicles proved abortive, and as a result, the Zamfara State government resorted to obtaining a court order to retrieve them.

“In pursuit of that order, a total of over 50 vehicles were recovered by the police.

“After the vehicles were recovered, Bello Matawalle quickly rushed to the Federal High Court in Gusau. “The court granted an order for the cars to be returned to him.

“Additionally, he filed a separate suit at the same court seeking to enforce his fundamental right to own property, including the vehicles in question.

“ The Zamfara State Government requested the transfer of the case to another jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. “The Federal High Court of Nigeria, Sokoto Judicial Division, dismissed the matter on Friday.

The court refused the reliefs sought by Bello Matawalle and rejected his claim to the ownership of the official vehicles.

“As a result, the vehicles are still considered the property of the Zamfara State government.

“Our government is committed to recovering all that rightfully belongs to the people through an all-encompassing rescue mission that will leave no stone unturned.

“The judgment by the Federal High Court will encourage us to ensure that justice prevails and all perpetrators of financial banditry in Zamfara are brought to book.”