Details: EFCC Says It Has Not Declared Matawalle Wanted

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has not declared Bello Matawalle, the former Governor of Zamfara state wanted.

The anti-graft agency says any contrary claim is “incorrect”.

The clarification comes on the heels of the report by a national newspaper claiming the agency has declared the former Governor wanted over an alleged N70Billion fraud.

The report claimed the EFCC solicited the help of the Department of State Service (DSS) in apprehending Matawalle.

But the EFCC insists “Without prejudice to the case involving the former governor, the report is incorrect as the Commission has yet to declare Matawalle wanted or solicit the assistance of any Agency, including the DSS, to effect his arrest”

The agency made the disclosure in a statement with the emphatic header “EFCC Has Not Declared Matawalle Wanted” released on its social media page on Sunday, June 18, 2023.

The statement reads “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a report, entitled, Alleged N70b Fraud: EFCC Declares Ex-Zamfara Gov, Matawalle Wanted, which appeared in the Sunday Tribune of June 18, 2023 and purports that the Commission had declared a former Zamafara State governor, Bello Matawalle wanted and requested the Department of State Service, DSS, to arrest him, “anywhere he is seen”.

“Without prejudice to the case involving the former governor, the report is incorrect as the Commission has yet to declare Matawalle wanted or solicit the assistance of any Agency, including the DSS, to effect his arrest.

The Commission has standard procedure for declaring persons wanted and communicating same to the public, not through faceless “security sources”.”

The latest twist in part of a raging saga between the EFCC and the former Governor Matawalle.

The agency had issued an invitation to the former Governor of allegation of corruptions, he snubbed the agency and countered with accusation of persecution by the commission over refusal to pay alleged bribe demanded by suspended agency chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa.

Bawa was suspended by President Bola Tinubu to enable investigation into allegations against him.

It is, however, not clear whether the accusation made by Matawalle is part of the allegations that made President Tinubu to suspend the EFCC Chairman.