By Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Sokoto Zonal office on Monday handed over 53 tricycles recovered from a contractor to the Zamfara State government.
The Zonal Head, Mr Abdullahi Lawal, during the handover, said the tricycles were part of 1,000 pieces valued N1.2 billion awarded to Kymco and Wadatto Limited to be supplied to the state government, but the contractor failed to supply all before the transition, adding that the commission trailed him and recovered the 53 pieces.
He added that the recovery was possible as a result of painstaking and diligent investigation.
“As you are aware that the commission is carrying out a clinical investigation into the activities of the last administration and we want to assure you and the people of Zamfara State that the commission would not relent on its oars to prosecute anyone found culpable,” Lawal said.
The EFCC boss added that several contractors who abandoned their projects after receiving billions of naira have been mobilized back to site in the state for the fear of prosecution.
Lawal further explained that since the commission started working in the zone February this year, it has received over 200 petitions from government, private organizations and individuals.
He disclosed that the office is currently investigating over 60 cases from Zamfara State in relation to the past administration, adding that the total sum involved is over N200 billion.
“Several bank accounts connected to fraudulent activities in regards to this investigation have been frozen by the commission,” he said.
Lawal called on contractors, who have been paid and are yet to commence, complete or hand over projects, to mobilize back to site in their own interest as the commission would embark on project monitoring and evaluation in collaboration with experts from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing as well as the Council for the Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), saying the jobs should also be standard.
Receiving the tricycles on behalf of the Zamfara State government, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Bala Bello Umaru, thanked EFCC for the the recovery.
Bala added that the tricycles would be distributed to the beneficiaries transparently with the supervision of EFCC.
