EFCC Arrests Former Kaduna State Governor Over N23bn Bribe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former Governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan Yero.

He was arrested for his alleged involvement in the sharing of N700million allocated to Kaduna State out of the $115m deposited in Fidelity Bank by the immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the 2015 general elections, those familiar with the matter said.

Mr. Yero is one of the former governors in the last administration who are being investigated by the anti-graft agency.

Insiders said the former governor was picked up in Kaduna on Monday and whisked to the Kano office of the EFCC where he is being interrogated.

PREMIUMTIMES reports that Mr. Yero was arrested after two top PDP officials implicated him.

The officials – Nuhu Wya (a former minister of state for power) and Haruna Gaya (PDP chairman in Kaduna state) – had reportedly told investigators that they handed over the N700million sent to the state to the former governor.

Our sources said Mr. Yero admitted during interrogation that he received the money, but explained that it was distributed to PDP chapters in the 23 local government areas of the state.

The funds were spent on logistics and allowances of party agents, the former governor reportedly said.

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the interrogation of the former governor.

He declined to provide details of the investigation but said Mr. Yero was still being quizzed at the EFCC Kano zonal office.