The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has described as deliberate falsehood an allegation that one of its top officials owns landed property and houses valued at over N10.6 billion.
The commission also declared that the allegation was a mere fabrication to defame the official, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu Madaki, who was described as “one of the most enterprising investigators with the EFCC.”
A suspect still in the EFCC custody had in an report posted by an online medium alleged that Madaki is the owner of 474 hectares of land in Keffi, Nasarawa State, worth N10 billion; a house in Wuse 2 and another one for a girlfriend at Wuse Zone (both in Abuja), valued at N450m and N200m, respectively.
However the anti-graft agency, at the weekend, cleared Madaki of any inappropriate property acquisition, declaring that he legitimately acquired his landed property in remote parts of Keffi and that what he paid for the land was no where near the amount banded by his accuser.
It said the online report on the allegation was “unfounded, cheap blackmail, total falsehood and deliberate attempt to bring the image of the EFCC official into disrepute”.
The spokesman of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, in a SMS made available to the Nigerian Tribune, also said the allegation against Madaki was sponsored by the suspect who believed that the anti-graft agency’s top official was behind his ordeal.
“For those who don’t know, Madaki is a native of Keffi and his family has land assets. Part of the land he is alleged to have acquired belongs to the family. The ones that are not owned by the family, he legitimately acquired with evidence.
“What he paid to acquire the land he has in remote parts of Keffi are not anywhere near the figures being bandied by his detractors. Even if you put the whole of Keffi up for sale, it is unlikely to fetch N10 billion!
“There is evidence that the campaign of calumny is being bankrolled by a suspect who believes that Madaki instigated his investigation by the Commission”, Uwujaren said.
Madaki was also absolved of buying houses in Wuse, Abuja, either for himself or for any girlfriend, as EFCC challenged his accuser to provide any evidence to the contrary.
“The allegation that he owns two houses in Wuse is ridiculous. Where are the houses located and when were they bought? From whom did he buy the houses? Who is the girlfriend that got a N200m house from him?
“These are questions that any serious journalist should investigate. But I can tell you, for free, that there is nothing [to the allegations]”, Uwujaren added in the SMS.
Further investigation revealed, among others, that the land at Anwan Sarkin Mada was sold to Madaki by his cousin, Muazu Ishaq, a retired permanent secretary, for N700,000 which payment was made in three installments.
The land at Angwan Chediya, even as indicated in the survey published by the online medium, was purchased by Madaki from one late Alhaji Zakari Jibirin, for N600,000 and payment was completed between 2011 and 2012.
In the same vein, the land at Angwan Kyero, along Madubi Road was purchased by Madaki in 2010 for N150,000 and payment was made through Gaskiya Auta, the present chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Karu Local Govetnment Area of Nasarawa State.
The total cost of the three landed properties, said to have been confirmed by the vendors and the witnesses, was put at N1.45 million, as against the N10 billion reportedly published by the online medium.
