EFCC detains ex-Adamawa governor, Nyako

A former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, who returned to Nigeria after nearly a year on self-imposed exile, has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Mr. Nyako was still at the commission’s office in Abuja by 5 p.m. Monday. He was said to have surrendered himself to the commission Monday afternoon.

Mr. Nyako, who was impeached on July 16, 2014, was declared wanted by the anti-graft agency on February 4.

The EFCC had declared Mr. Nyako and his son, AbdulAziz Murtala Nyako, a retired naval officer, wanted for alleged criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.

The commission alleged massive looting of state funds by top officials in Mr. Nyako’s government leading to the arrest of key officials in the state including, the then Secretary to the State Government, the State Commissioner for Finance, the Commissioner for Higher Education, the Accountant General of the State and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government.

The EFCC, at the time, said its investigation was triggered by petitions alleging massive looting of the treasury by the governor and his cronies through an illegal department called Special Programme and Project Units, SPPU.

“In the course of investigation, a critical analysis of the Joint State/Local Government account reveals massive cash withdrawals,” a source at the commission said.

The Permanent Secretary of Local Governments was accused of making cash withdrawals of over N2 billion in 181 different transactions, scattered in tranches of N3 million, N4 million, N8 million and N9 million per transaction from the State/Local Government account domiciled with First Bank between 29th of August 2011 and 2012.

He also allegedly made similar cash withdrawals amounting to over N500 million between March 6, 2008, and March 4, 2011, from another Joint account domiciled in Keystone Bank, the source added.