EFCC Arrests ex-Adamawa Governor Bala Ngilari over N450m Election Fund

EFCC Arrests ex-Adamawa Governor Bala Ngilari over N450m Election Fund

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday arrested the immediate past governor of Adamawa state, Mr Bala Ngilari for his alleged role in the distribution of the sum of N450 million diverted to the state for the failed re-election bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to Premium Times, Mr Ngillari is being detained at the Gombe zonal office of the EFCC.

The former governor is said to have been implicated by a former Nigerian ambassador to the United States, Mr Hassan Adamu, who was earlier quizzed by EFCC officials.

Adamu reportedly told the anti-graft agency that when the chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa state, Joel Madaki, and himself (Adamu) took custody of the money from Fidelity Bank, it was taken to the government House in bullion vans by officials of the bank.

Mr Adamu also told investigators that Alhaji Hamman, the chief of staff to ex-Governor Ngilari at the time, and Aisha Waziri, the accountant to the government house, counted the money and confirmed the figure.

“The duo became custodians of the fund based on the directive of their boss, the governor,” Adamu reportedly told EFCC.

Adamu also said he left after the government officials took custody of the fund and did not know how the money was shared, and did not personally benefit from it.

An official of the EFCC stated that the former Adamawa governor has denied authorising his former aides to take custody of the election fund believed to have been diverted from federal government coffers.

“A detention order had earlier been signed and most likely, he would spend the night in EFCC custody,” the EFCC source said.