EFCC Begins Investigation Of Alleged Misappropriation Of N2.5bn, 2023 Campaign Fund Against Kwankwaso

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation on the misappropriation of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) campaign fund for 2023 elections and failure of the Kwankwaso’s led National Working Committee to pay party agents that worked for the party in the 2023 presidential and governorship elections, across the country.

The EFCC is also investigating Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano state, over alleged N2.5 billion pension fraud.

A source in the EFCC said that the sum was diverted from the coffers of the Kano government when Kwankwaso was governor of the state.

The source also alleged that houses that should have been handed to pensioners at the time were “given to other persons”.

Kwankwaso was governor of Kano from 1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015.

It was reliably gathered that the anti-graft agency has invited the National Secretary of the NNPP, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday to substantiate the allegations of fraud levelled against Senator Kwankwaso and his Private Secretary, Mrs Folashade Aliu, who is believed to be the ‘conduit pipe’ of Kwankwaso’s alleged misappropriation of party funds with campaign and donations secret account.

The sources made it clear that Oginni’s petition also allegedly indicted the signatories to a bank account of NNPP, which includes Prof. Rufai Alkali, Abba Kawu, and Dipo Olayokun.

“Consequently, the anti-graft agency may be compelled to probe the sudden wealth of Dipo Olayokun and how he acquired properties in choice areas of Abuja in less than two years of his tenure as signatory to NNPP’s account.

Confirming the development, the party National Secretary, Comrade Oginni said, he was a guest at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja last week Wednesday to make statements and clarifications on the petition he signed on behalf of the party.

“Truly, I was invited by the EFCC. I honoured the invitation and I was satisfied with the professionalism of EFCC officers. I answered questions related to the petition I signed on behalf of NNPP without any harassment or intimidation.

“They want to be sure that the allegations are true and without any ill motives. We are very sure that Nigeria is in a very safe stance with these crops of EFCC officers who are ready to get rid of corruption at Nigeria high places without sacred cows,” Oginni said.

On the alleged N2.5 billion pension fraud, a source said, “There was a time when a group of pensioners in Kano paid to have their own houses. The money was N2.5 billion, and they diverted the money during the Kwankwaso administration and didn’t give them houses,” the source said.

“The houses were given to other people. So we recovered the houses and returned them to the pensioners.

“But we are currently investigating because it is still a criminal offence. We invited him for questioning but he was not detained. It wasn’t recent and it came before the election.”