Niger State drags ex-governor Babangida Aliyu to EFCC over N2.9 billion loan

NIGER State Government has said that the matter the loan of N2.9 billion obtained by the immediate past administration of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu at the eve of his administration is already before the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the new governor, Dr. Ibraheem Dooba and made available to newsmen in Minna said, although government did not intends to engage the past administration in a media war over the issue, it is important to made some clarifications because of the continued denial by the officials involved in the loan scandals.

According to the statement, “attention of the Niger State Government has been drawn to the continued denial, in the media, by the officials of the past administration that they obtained a loan of N2.9 billion on the eve of their departure.”

The government pointed out that while it would allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to do its job, as the case was already before it, it was important to ask some significant questions on the activities of the past administration, “For instance, the government in the statement wondered why would the then Secretary to the State Government (SSG) denied collecting any N600 million only to later admit that he collected the sum of N612 million for “general” security during the last senatorial bye-election in the state.

According to the statement, “Was the money actually budgeted for, and was it used for the purpose intended”, adding that “Why was the said funds given to the SSG, was he the Chief Security officer or INEC.”

The statement regretted that instead of answering questions and making clarifications, these officials of the past administration have engaged in rhetoric thereby diverting attention form the major issue.
“It is obvious that these government officials have chosen the hard way rather than the easy one, and the hard way they will get,” the government assured.
The statement however, assured that despite antics of the past administration, the government has continue to discover heinous scandals of the previous administration on a daily basis but will allow the EFCC to do their work.”