Magu

The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu on Wednesday accused some state governors in Nigeria of deliberately fueling insecurity in their states in order to collect more money as security vote.

Speaking at the induction programme for returning and newly-elected state governors that held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Magu noted that some of the governors covertly promote insecurity as a justification to inflate their security votes.

Delivering a paper titled ‘Imperative of Fighting Corruption/Terrorism Financing in Nigeria’, the EFCC boss noted that there was a link between corruption, banditry and terrorism.

He said: “We have also seen evidence of theft of public resources by some state governors cashing in on the insecurity in their states.

“Insecurity has also offered the required oxygen for corruption to thrive as evident in the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal involving top military commanders both serving and retired.”

On corruption and insurgency in the North, Magu blamed the corrupt ruling elite in the region for the ease with which the Islamists were able to recruit fighters to sustain their aggression against the Nigerian State.

“As an investigator, I am shocked by the quantum of resources stolen from the Niger Delta Development Commission by those who run the intervention agency.

“It is so bad that even a mere personal assistant to a former Managing Director was charged with stealing over ₦3 billion,” he added.

He therefore called on the governors to avoid stealing of public funds, stressing that corruption and terrorism have become the twin evils undermining the collective efforts to make Nigeria a great country.