The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has pledged to reexamine the N70 billion money laundering case involving Bello Matawalle, the former Governor of Zamfara State and Minister of State for Defence. The decision to revisit the high-profile case left by the former EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, was disclosed by the Acting Director of Public Affairs at the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, in response to a protest staged by the Zamfara Alternative Forum (ZAF) at the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja.

The socio-political organization, ZAF, had urged the EFCC to resume its probe into Matawalle’s alleged money laundering activities during his tenure as the Governor of Zamfara State. The initial investigation, conducted under the leadership of Abdulrasheed Bawa, implicated Matawalle in the misappropriation of N70 billion from the state government coffers, sourced as a loan from an old-generation bank for purported local government projects.

Despite accusations from Matawalle and a period of relative quiet on the case since Bawa’s departure, ZAF’s chairman, Mallam Musa Sa’idu, led a peaceful protest, emphasizing the need for continued scrutiny of the alleged financial misconduct. Sa’idu commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent actions against suspected embezzlement in his government and called for accountability in public office.

Receiving the protesters, Uwujaren assured them that the EFCC, under the leadership of Ola Olukoyede, would not overlook high-profile cases. He emphasized the commitment to reviewing and taking necessary actions on the matter, emphasizing that nobody is above the law. Uwujaren thanked the Zamfara people for their peaceful approach and reiterated the EFCC’s dedication to upholding justice and transparency in addressing allegations of corruption.