The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was accused of money laundering, however the Kogi State Government has denied this (EFCC).
State Commissioner for Information and Communication Kingsley Fanwo The EFCC, headed by Abdulrasheed Bawa, referred to the accusation as “sustenance” of the government’s persecution in a statement released on Thursday in Lokoja.
The commissioner’s comment came in response to a news release that was purportedly published on the EFCC’s website and claimed that they had arrested certain people on suspicion of laundering money from the Kogi State government.
The commission’s recent accusations, according to the statement, showed that it was urgently attempting to salvage its face after the commission’s N20 billion Sterling Bank media trial struck a roadblock.
The commissioner bemoaned the fact that the Commission did not conduct a thorough investigation into the Sterling Bank scandal before going to the media, and that the EFCC was about to do the same thing to itself and its reputation by using the media to continue its persecution of the Kogi government.
The Commissioner asked Nigerians to inquire about the EFCC’s “biased” corruption investigation and if it was restricted to Kogi State while adamantly stating that no money belonging to the Kogi State Government had been laundered.
According to the Commissioner, the EFCC is against the international organizations’ recognition of the Kogi State Government’s due process and financial accountability.
It emphasized the recent honor bestowed on the Kogi State Government by the World Bank-funded SFTAS project, which elevated Kogi above peers in financial accountability.