How Governor Yari allegedly diverted N500m Paris loan refund
- Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara and chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum reportedly transferred the fund to a mortgage bank
- The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is said to have traced and recovered the fund from the bank
While over 200 residents in his state have so far died as a result of the Type C meningitis, a report by Sahara Reporters is claiming that Governor Abdulaziz of Zamfara state allegedly diverted N500 million being part of the Paris Club loan refund.
Legit.ng reports that the governor is currently being castigated by Nigerians for declaring that the meningitis that has killed at least 336 people in the country is a punishment from God for the sins committed by citizens.
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If the allegation is true, the fund should have been enough to procure the needed vaccines by his state amidst lamentation by the federal government about the lack of fund to procure such.
The report quoted a source at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as revealing that Yari withdrew the amount from the N19 billion Paris Club refund and allegedly diverted it to a special account of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).
The report further quoted The Nation as reporting that a source revealed that “of the N19 billion, we discovered that a consultant brought by the North-West governor was paid N2.2 billion. From the N2.2 billion, the governor got N500 million.”
It said Yari then transferred the alleged diverted amount to the mortgage bank from which he had borrowed N800 million to purchase to properties in 2013.
The source allegedly said this was after the governor was able to renegotiate his debt from N800 million to N500 million while the report said the EFCC traced the sum, knowing it was connected to Yari and the Paris Club loan.
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The mortgage bank has now reportedly forfeited the amount to the EFCC.
Nigerians including Emir Muhammadu Sanusi of Kano, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, Lauretta Onochie, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, and Reno Omokri, a former aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari have since condemned the governor for saying meningitis was a punishment from God for the sins of Nigerians.
Watch this video of an angry Nigerian as he speaks about corruption in the country:
Source: Legit.ng
