EFCC has denied declaring Former Governor Matawalle wanted.
NewsOnline reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Sunday afternoon debunked a report by the SundayTribune, indicating that it declared former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, wanted over an alleged N70 billion fraud.
Several other online publications (NewsOnline Nigeria not included) had reported the same story after it was first carried by the Sunday Tribune. But the EFCC in a statement signed by Wilson Uwujaren, the head of Media and Publicity, said the agency has an established process of declaring suspects wanted and would not do so through some faceless security sources.
A terse statement issued by the anti-graft agency and made available to NewsOnline Nigeria 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”
