Kaduna Ex Governor arrested over Diezanigate.

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Monday night, arrested the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, for allegedly collecting N700 million from the $115 million (about N23.29 billion) deposited in Fidelity Bank by the Minister of Petroleum Resources in immediate past administration, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke and disbursed by the bank on her instruction.
The fund, which had been a subject of investigation by the anti-graft agency, was said to have been distributed to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), certain individuals and interest groups shortly before the 2015
presidential election.
The money, which some oil barons were alleged to have contributed up to $88.35 million, was allegedly given to the beneficiaries, with a view to compromising the 2015 presidential
election in favour of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was the candidate of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Nigerian Tribune gathered that Yero’s arrest followed his implication by some suspects already arrested and investigated by EFCC on the electoral sleaze.
The suspects, an EFCC source informed, were the ones who revealed Yero’s involvement in the loot, telling the commission that the former governor collected the sum of N700 million from the fund.
The source informed that Yero was detained at EFCC’s zonal office in Kano, where he spent the night and allegedly confessed to collecting the said amount, which he was said to have claimed was shared among PDP members in his state ahead of the presidential election.
As of the time of filing this report, it was not certain if the former governor would be granted administrative bail by the commission.
EFCC had since moved against some of the beneficiaries of the fund, with a view to making them refund the money they allegedly collected.
The anti-corruption commission had arrested the Managing Director and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo and some officials, including its Head of Operations, Mr Martins Izuogbe, for allegedly receiving the $115
million from Mrs Alison-Madueke.
When contacted, EFCC’s head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of the former governor, saying “I can confirm he had been with us since Monday.”
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to former President Jonathan, Hassan Tukur, was also arrested by the commission Monday evening, in Abuja.
As of the time of filing this report, we could not
ascertain for what reason Tukur was arrested, but a source stated that he was one of the top officials of the Jonathan era being investigated by the anti-graft commission for their involvement in fraudulent acts while in government.
When Uwujaren was asked for confirmation of Tukur’s arrest, he declined to confirm it, saying “that one, I cannot confirm.”