By Balkis Tijani.
The Ilorin office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has announced ongoing investigation of twenty officials of the Kwara State Government fingered in financial impropriety.
The EFCC made the disclosure through the head of the Ilorin zone, Ishaku Shari, who spoke at a news conference in Ilorin yesterday.
Mr. Shari revealed that the anti-graft agency uncovered over 15 properties of the affected civil servants whose salaries are not more than N90,000, in choice areas of Ilorin metropolis, ranging from hotels, filling stations, residential accommodation and micro-finance.
“…the affected senior officials ranging in status from assistant directors, accountant, to treasurers among others.
“You will agree with me that official corruption is the greatest killer as those officials who ordinarily are supposed to guard and protect state resources have turned out to misappropriate it.
“To this end, the commission beamed its searchlight on the Kwara state officials and on a credible tip of the commission is currently investigating over 15 properties in choice areas within Ilorin metropolis ranging from hotels, filling stations, residential accommodation, micro-finance among others.
“It will shock you to hear that the alleged owners are civil servants whose salary per month is not more than N90,000. Some have confessed and the matter is in court,” Shari said.
The EFCC also disclosed that it recovered N10bn which was allegedly on the verge of being looted by Abdulfatah Ahmed’s administration, few days to its exit.
“…our resolve to mount surveillance on all Kwara State government accounts between 24th and 29th May, 2019, when the state received FAAC, JAAC, VAT and tax refund from the Federal government to the tune of N10bn.
“I can authoritatively tell you that we saved the state last minute attempted financial misappropriation of those billions.”