As probe into the $115m (N23bn) bribe allegedly shared by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke continues, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Saturday arrested former Zamafara Governor, Mamuda Shinkafi; ex-Secretary to his Government; Aminu Nahuce; and Senator Hassan Nasiha, state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The trio were arrested based on the statement of a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, who reportedly confessed last week that he supervised the disbursement of N450m through Fidelity Bank to leaders of the PDP in Zamfara State.
A source told Sunday Punch that “Operatives of the EFCC Kano zonal office revealed how the N450m was received by former Zamfara SSG, Aminu Nahuce; and one Mallaha as signatories for the documents securing the release of the money on Bashir Yuguda’s instruction which was shared in his house under his supervision.
“In his statement of admission to the investigators last week, Yuguda, a former Finance Minister under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, indicted the former Governor Shinkafi as a beneficiary of the money.
“Yuguda said in his statement that the ex-governor received N15m while Hassan Nasiha, a former senator and state PDP Chairman of Zamfara State and members of his committee received N5m.”
The EFCC has, however, told all those involved to return payments made to them as it had been established that the money was stolen.
“The PDP chairman, Nasiha, claimed that he only benefitted N2m contrary to claims made by Yuguda that it was N5m. He has refunded the money to the EFCC. The two are currently under detention,” the source disclosed, adding that Yuguda claimed that the remaining money was distributed to 14 local government councils in the state.
Yuguda allegedly said in his statement that N26m was given to each local government while some other PDP lawmakers received N5m each.
The source continued: “The other beneficiaries listed by Yuguda include: 13 Zamfara Local Government Councils (N26m each totalling N338m). Yuguda said Gusau Local Government Council being the state capital was given N46m.
“Yuguda said the then Chairman, House Committee on National Security, Intelligence and Public Safety received N10m, while a senator got N5m.
“Yuguda added that the PDP deputy governorship candidate in the 2015 election got N5m, while other lawmakers and the PDP exco got N5m each.
“Yuguda said the committee of party supervisors got N10m while some other group got N6m.”
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