Bauchi to Prosecute Former Govs Yuguda, Abubakar over Alleged Diversion of N1tn

Bauchi to Prosecute Former Govs Yuguda, Abubakar over Alleged Diversion of N1tn

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has directed the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to commence processes for the prosecution of his predecessors former Govs Isa Yuguda, and Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar, as well as other government officials indicted for alleged diversion of government funds and assets worth over a N1trillion.

The governor who disclosed this yesterday when he received the report of of the state’s Asset and Funds Recovery Committee constituted on July 12, 2019 to investigate assets and funds allegedly diverted between 2007 to 2019 at the Executive Chambers, Government House, Bauchi. Mohammed directed the State Attorney General to partner the committee with a view to studying their recommendations and prosecuting the former governors indicted.

The governor vowed that all government officials indicted by the committee, including the ex-governors must remain accountable, adding that the Attorney General will synergise with some members of the committee to implement the recommendations of the committee for the full prosecution of the offenders.

Speaking while submitting the report, Acting Chairman of the Committee General Markus Koko Yake (rtd) told the governor that the committee recovered 23 vehicles, four tractors alongside farm implements among others, adding that based on their findings, the administrations of Yuguda and Abubakar received allocations of over N1 trillion in addition to over N65 billion special releases to t.he immediate administration.

He explained that majority of scandalous diversions of funds and properties were mostly from the Paris and London Clubs funds, Ecological funds, Universal Basic Education Commission Board (SUBEB) funds, internally generated revenue and various loans taken by past administrations

The chairman said that the committee has discovered various diversion of government funds and properties from 19 Ministries, Department and Agencies between 2007 and 2019 when Yuguda and Abubakar served as governors of the state.

He added that the committee had also discovered 16 plots of land in Kaduna worth N1.5 billion allegedly diverted by the past administrations, “if urgent action was not taken to recover those lands, it will be occupied by trespassers.”

He reveals that the committee also recommends the immediate confiscation of a property adjacent Wikki Hotel Bauchi, which the former governor Abubakar allegedly sold to himself without following due process, adding that the committee had faced serious challenges in a bid to obtain information and data from MDAs especially in relation to finance.

When contacted, the Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy to Abubakar, Mr. Ali M Ali, said, “we are not aware of the current gimmick by the incumbent to divert attention from the burning issues of contract scam against him. I will contact my principal and respond to appropriately to the new scene of drama played by the government “.

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