Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State says the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, demanded a bribe to the tune of $2 million from him.
The accusation is coming amid the standoff and growing acrimony between the governor and the anti-graft agency.
The duo have been having a go at one another over the sincerity, impartiality or otherwise of the EFCC’s fight against corruption in the country.
Matawalle had on Wednesday called for Bawa’s resignation, saying he had questions to answer on corruption.
But the EFCC Chairman responded that he had nothing to hide and asked Matawalle to petition appropriate authorities if he had any evidence against him.
The anti-graft agency had also disclosed that it was investigating the governor over the embezzlement of N70 billion naira belonging to the Zamfara state government.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Matawalle insisted that Bawa is an unscrupulous character and can’t be trusted.
He decries Bawa fixation on state governors, noting that his anti-corruption war must be extended to those at the federal level.
“It is not just to always blame governors. It is not only governors who have treasury, the federal government also has. What does the EFCC boss do to them? As he is claiming he has evidence on governors, let him show to the world evidence of those at the federal level.
“If he exits office, people will surely know he is not an honest person. I have evidence against him. Let him vacate office, I am telling you within 10 seconds probably more than 200 people will bring evidences of bribe he collected from them. He knows what he requested from me but I declined.
“He requested a bribe of $2 million from me and I have evidence of this. He knows the house we met, he invited me and told me the conditions. He told me governors were going to his office but I did not. If I don’t have evidence, I won’t say this.”
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