Tinubu's top minister in deep trouble as EFCC cracks down on alleged N528bn fraud scandal, see details

• The EFCC has promised to analyse allegations of fiscal misconduct against Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence, implicit alleged N528bn embezzlement
• The petition was submitted by the APC Young Leaders Alliance (APC-YLA), demanding enactment implicit the hold successful probing the erstwhile Zamfara Governor
• The protesters highlighted the seriousness of the allegations and called for swift enactment by the EFCC

FCT, Abuja - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed it volition analyse allegations of fiscal misconduct against Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence.

This is coming aft the bureau received a petition from the All Progressives Congress Young Leaders Alliance (APC-YLA).

Bello Matawalle, Defence Minister, is facing an EFCC probe implicit his suspected engagement successful a multi-billion naira fraud. Photo credit: @officialEFCC/@Bellomatawalle1
Source: Twitter

Matawalle accused of embezzling N528bn

The allegations impeach Matawalle of embezzling implicit N528 cardinal during his tenure arsenic the Governor of Zamfara state.

The EFCC’s committedness to reopen the probe comes amid mounting unit from governmental groups and civilian nine organisations.

Speaking during a protestation astatine the EFCC headquarters successful Abuja, Mohammed Ireji, the convener of APC-YLA, demanded that the corruption lawsuit against Matawalle beryllium afloat investigated, Vanguard reported.

Ireji highlighted the important delays successful the probe contempt erstwhile petitions submitted by the APC Akida Forum successful May and September of 2024.

“We are present contiguous to formally petition that the EFCC reopen the probe into the corruption allegations against Bello Mohammed Matawalle, the State Minister for Defence. We person gathered facts and figures regarding his alleged embezzlement of billions of Naira," Ireji said.

Protest calls for enactment implicit alleged misappropriation of funds

The allegations against Matawalle, which were elaborate during the protest, see the misappropriation of funds from cardinal nationalist fiscal bodies.

It is claimed that Matawalle siphoned N290 cardinal from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), misappropriated N133 cardinal from the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), and took an unexplained indebtedness of N105 cardinal during his clip successful bureau arsenic Zamfara’s governor.

These figures were presented by Ireji, who stressed that the claims were backed by coagulated evidence, not specified speculation.

The protesters argued that the EFCC’s efforts to combat corruption should beryllium accordant and impartial, peculiarly successful high-profile cases involving almighty figures.

“The EFCC has done good successful investigating and prosecuting respective high-profile individuals, including erstwhile Minister Betta Edu and erstwhile Governors Yahaya Bello and Darius Ishaku. But we are present to impulse the committee to amusement the aforesaid resoluteness successful the lawsuit of Matawalle," Ireji stated.

EFCC assures of probe amid concerns of selective justice

The protestation highlighted increasing concerns astir selective justice, with Ireji and different demonstrators questioning the hold successful Matawalle’s case.

They raised the contented of governmental interference and however it could perchance hinder just investigations.

“If each these erstwhile governors and ministers were not supra the instrumentality and the EFCC, who would shield Matawalle from investigation?” Ireji asked.

Ireji besides challenged the committee to enactment decisively. His comments bespeak the ongoing disapproval of perceived bias successful anti-corruption efforts.

Despite these concerns, the EFCC’s Acting Director of Security, Idowu Adedeji, assured the protesters that the petition had been received and would beryllium submitted for further action.

"We person received your petition, and we volition taxable it accordingly," helium said.

APC-YLA praises EFCC's past successes, urges unbiased investigation

Defence Minister Bello Matawalle faces EFCC scrutiny implicit his alleged engagement successful a multi-billion naira fraud. Photo credit: @officialEFCC
Source: UGC

The APC-YLA has acknowledged the EFCC’s past achievements successful warring corruption, praising its resilience and committedness to tackling fiscal crimes. However, the radical urged the committee to show the aforesaid level of determination successful investigating Matawalle, Leadership reported.

“We person lauded the show and resilience of the EFCC enactment successful its combat against corruption without bias galore times. But we request to spot the aforesaid committedness successful this case, wherever ample sums of nationalist wealth are astatine stake," Ireji said.

Next steps for the EFCC and the public’s expectations

As the EFCC moves to probe Matawalle, determination volition beryllium expanding scrutiny from the nationalist and governmental groups.

Many Nigerians, peculiarly those supporting the APC-YLA, volition beryllium watching intimately to spot however the EFCC handles this high-profile lawsuit and whether immoderate enactment volition beryllium taken against different individuals implicated successful fiscal misconduct.

EFCC vs Yahaya Bello: Court to springiness verdict July 3, 4

Previously, Legit.ng reported that Justice Emeka Nwite of the national precocious court, Abuja, connected Friday, May 9, 2025, adjourned proceedings successful the trial of the erstwhile Kogi authorities governor, Yahaya Bello, till June 26 and 27, and July 3 and 4, 2025.

Per a societal media station shared by the EFCC, Justice Nwite adjourned proceedings for ruling connected the alleviation sought by the EFCC's counsel, to re-examine its 3rd witness, Nicholas Ojehomon connected the substance of the schoolhouse fees of Bello’s children successful American International School, Abuja.

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Source: Legit.ng