Former Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema has been declared wanted for alleged mismanagement of N74.6billion.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives yesterday stormed the Abuja home of the former governor to arrest him but he was not there.
Some top officials of Shema’s administration will have to account for N30billion security vote which was diverted monthly by local government councils, a source said.
The Katsina State government petitioned the anti-graft commission, alleging mismanagement of about N74 billion by the Shema administration.
The funds include alleged diversion of N18.6 billion in 2012 and over N56 billion in the remaining seven years.
It was learnt that the ex-governor failed thrice to honour the EFCC’s invitation for questioning on how he spent the funds.
A source in EFCC said: “Ex-Governor Shema failed to respond to several invitations extended to him. On December 1, 2015, we requested for an audience with him but he sent his lawyer, Aliyu Ahmed, from the chamber of Aliyu Ahmed & Associates to ask for a date in the middle of February 2016.
“We sent another invitation to him on the 23rd of May 2016. He did not respond to the letter but we got information that he had changed his lawyers.
“Again on the 19th of June, 2016, we asked him to come to our office for interaction. On the 20th of June, 2016, he replied the EFCC that he was dialoguing with the governor of the state on the allegations against him.
“He has been elusive and has not made efforts to get in touch with EFCC. Having waited for almost three months after the last correspondence without any word from ex-Governor Shema, we decided to effect his arrest. Our operatives trailed him to Katsina but could not locate him.
“Yesterday, our team went to his residence within the precinct of the Presidential Villa but he was not at home.
“We have no choice than to declare him wanted.
A statement by EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren, said Shema was “wanted in connection with a case of criminal conspiracy, inflation of contracts, abuse of office, diversion of funds and embezzlement running into billions of naira.
“The former governor ignored several invitations by the commission since December 1, 2015 when he was first summoned by the agency.
“All efforts to locate him at his known address in Katsina and Abuja were futile.”
The EFCC source gave the details of the looted funds which Shema would have to account for.
The source added: “We are probing allegation that the ex-governor executed almost all the contracts in the state using his sons and one Alhaji as fronts.
“That Shema , sons and cronies diverted about N18.6 billion in 2012 and over N56 billion in seven years.
“That the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs directed every local government to return huge chunk of their allocations to private account.
“Security votes to the tune of about N30 billion were mismanaged and diverted by local governments monthly and payment made to some government officials.”
Credit: Nation
