The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has refuted claims in both conventional and social media that it purportedly released a list identifying 58 former governors allegedly involved in misappropriation of public funds totalling N2.187 trillion over the past 25 years.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, the reports suggesting that the said ex-governors from all six geopolitical regions of the country were under investigation, were entirely baseless.
Oyewale emphasised that the purported list was “a disingenuous fabrication designed to achieve motives known only to the authors.”
“The so-called list is false and misleading,” Oyewale added.
“The EFCC has not issued such a list nor entertained discussions on investigations of ex-governors with any media outlet.”
The report, headlined “EFCC Releases Full List of 58 Ex-Governors that Embezzled N2.187 Trillion,” was widely criticized for its inaccuracies, prompting the anti-graft agency to disown the list and urging the public to disregard it.
The EFCC also called on media practitioners to verify facts with the Commission directly to avoid spreading misinformation.
Despite the clarification, the EFCC, however, confirmed ongoing investigations of some former governors over allegations of corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
Among the most notable is the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who is facing 19-count charges including charges of money laundering and breach of trust involving N80.2billion.
Media reports show that during a press briefing at the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja on April 23, EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede, provided details of Bello’s alleged financial misconduct.
According to Olukoyede, Bello transferred $720,000 from the state’s accounts to a Bureau de Change operator to pay his child’s school fees in advance just before his tenure ended on January 27, 2024.
“A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to a Bureau de Change and used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance,” Olukoyede explained.
“In a state as financially strained as Kogi, such actions are particularly egregious.”
Olukoyede stressed that his decision to pursue the case against Bello was based on substantive evidence found in the case files he inherited.