BEVERLY HILLS, April 21, (THEWILL) – The Governor of Niger State, Governor Abubakar Bello, has declared that the N6 billion discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the bank accounts of Kantigi Liman, a former Commissioner of Local Government in Niger State and Governorship Aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were stolen from Niger State Government account.
The governor made this known to newsmen on Friday after joining President Muhammadu Buhari and hundreds of other Muslim faithful to perform the 2-raka’at Juma’at prayer, at the Aso Rock Mosque, Abuja.
According to Bello, the funds are believed to have been siphoned by the suspect through inflated Hajj subsidies offered by the state government to Pilgrims within the periods he (suspect) served as the Chairman of the Niger State Pilgrims’ Agency.
The governor, who commended the EFCC for its efforts in recovering stolen funds, expressed the hope that the recovered N6 billion would be transferred to the state’s accounts to enable his administration embark on developmental projects.
He also acknowledged the efforts of the EFCC towards the recovery of the misappropriated ecological funds by the previous administration in the state.
“I’m aware that the EFCC is investigating the ecological funds. At the inception of this administration we realised that the ecological funds disappeared,” he said.
“I did not have any evidence that it was utilised to address any ecological issues and we are faced with major ecological problems especially in Mokwa, Agaie, Bida, part of Minna, Rafin Gora and Mariga.
“We are doing our best to address the ecological problems. We need funds and unfortunately the N2 billion that was given to the state was not judiciously used to address the ecological challenges.
“If it had been used properly maybe our burden might have been reduced by now, but we are having sleepless nights over ecological issues and we are still approaching the Federal Government to assist us.”
