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Tag: Bala Mohammed

EFCC Rejects Bauchi Governor’s Allegations Of Political Targeting

Wale busari04 mins

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed claims by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed that the agency is being used by the Federal Government or political rivals to target him and his administration. In a statement released on Friday, the EFCC urged Nigerians to disregard the governor’s allegations, calling them baseless and misleading. “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission views with great displeasure the claims by Governor Bala Mohammed that the Commission is being used by political opponents, particularly the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to persecute him and his aides,” the statement said. The commission described the allegations as “wild” and “far-fetched,” emphasizing that it operates independently and without political influence. “The EFCC is an independent agency established to fight economic and financial crimes. It carries out its mandate without favoritism or ill will. Suggesting that the Commission can be influenced by political interests is mischievous and condemnable,” it added. The EFCC also rejected claims that any political officeholder could sway its investigations. “It is derogatory for the governor to attribute the Commission’s activities in Bauchi State to the influence of Mr. Wike. No political official can interfere with the investigative processes of the Commission,” the statement read. Addressing the governor’s own legal history, the EFCC said Bala Mohammed was already facing charges before he assumed office. “If Governor Mohammed were transparent, he would have disclosed that he was on trial for money laundering at the time he won the governorship election in Bauchi State,” the agency said, noting that only the constitutional immunity attached to his office prevented prosecution. The EFCC also recalled that investigations into Mohammed date back to 2016, questioning his claims of political persecution. “Who influenced the Commission to investigate him in 2016 and charge him to court?” the agency asked. On ongoing cases involving Bauchi State officials, the EFCC said the matters are before the courts and based on evidence, not political vendetta. “The facts against some Bauchi State government officials have already been presented to the court,” the statement said, urging the public to review the charges themselves. The commission dismissed the governor’s remarks regarding terrorism financing, stating that it was simply enforcing the law. “Raising alarms over terrorism financing issues is unfounded. Ignoring legal violations would amount to dereliction of duty,” it said. Finally, the EFCC accused politicians of double standards, noting that allegations of persecution typically surface only when opposition figures are investigated. “It is hypocritical for opposition politicians to claim persecution each time an opposition figure is called to account,” the statement said, advising Governor Mohammed to focus on governance while the Commission continues its work against financial crimes.

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Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed Alleges FCT Minister Wike Plotting Against Him, Wike Denies Claims

Wale busari03 mins

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has alleged that political actors, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, are trying to damage his reputation and link him to terrorism financing and banditry. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Mohammed dismissed the allegations, insisting Bauchi remains one of the safest states in northern Nigeria. He accused Wike of attempting to destabilise his administration and described efforts to implicate him and his relatives in false corruption claims. “Somebody said he’s going to put fire in my state—FCT Minister Wike. A rising politician and opposition leader being accused of terrorism is very painful. Even my nephew was wrongly dragged into a corruption case,” Mohammed said. The governor said he had written to the Attorney General of the Federation and relevant agencies and would seek international protection, calling the situation “victimisation” and a violation of his fundamental human rights. Mohammed also labelled Wike an “undertaker” in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claiming the minister is not a genuine member and works to undermine opposition leaders like him. He warned that political intolerance and impunity could have serious consequences for Nigeria. Responding during a visit to Abua-Odual local government in Rivers State, Wike rejected the allegations, saying Mohammed was trying to shift blame for his own political struggles. “I watched what the Bauchi governor is saying, that all the problems he’s having, that I’m the one because I said I will put fire in his state. If I had such power, why would he be fighting?” Wike asked. The former Rivers State governor maintained that Mohammed’s difficulties stem from internal PDP disputes in Bauchi, not from him personally. He also denied any involvement in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigations targeting Mohammed’s associates. “This is to tell Nigerians to leave me alone and go face your own problems. I’m only challenging you as party leadership; I’m not interested in what you spend,” Wike said.

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Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed Accuses Federal Government Of Using EFCC To Target Him Over APC Refusal

Wale busari04 mins

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has accused the Federal Government of using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to target him and members of his cabinet because he refused to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The governor made the allegation on Wednesday in Bauchi while signing the 2026 appropriation bill into law, following an ambassadorial award for safety from the Institute of Safety Professionals in Nigeria. He revealed that one of his commissioners is currently being held by the EFCC. “As a governor and leader of the opposition, my commissioner has been detained and will not be released. Even with constitutional immunity, my name was mentioned in a court motion in Nigeria—me, Bala Mohammed,” he said. Mohammed claimed that the APC-led federal government is using institutions like the EFCC and the courts to harass Nigerians who are not aligned with the ruling party. He insisted that no amount of pressure would force him to join the APC. The statement comes after the EFCC arraigned Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, over alleged N5.79 billion money laundering. Adamu is accused of conspiring with two others, who remain at large, to launder N4.65 billion between June and December 2023. The governor expressed frustration that despite his immunity, his name was included in the EFCC motion against his commissioner. “I woke up to a notification accusing me of terrorism. I don’t need to respond publicly, but politics has clearly taken a troubling turn in Nigeria,” he said. As chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Mohammed warned that he would no longer remain silent if the federal government continues what he described as persecution. “If they don’t stop, we are going to declare war. I won’t allow anyone to criminalise me because I’m not in their party, and I refuse to join the APC,” he stated. He also criticised the federal government for failing to deliver projects in Bauchi, pointing out that despite controlling the bulk of national resources, it has not provided a single kilometre of road or water infrastructure in the state. Mohammed further condemned the planned implementation of new tax laws without addressing alleged discrepancies in the gazetted copy.

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Bauchi Governor Signs Law Creating 29 Additional Local Government Areas

Wale busari02 mins

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has signed a law creating 29 additional local government areas in the state. The Acting Deputy Clerk of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Musa Yerima, confirmed in a document obtained by Daily Trust that the law has been forwarded to the National Assembly’s Committee on Constitutional Review for approval and ratification under the ongoing constitutional amendment process. Currently, Bauchi State has 20 constitutionally recognized local government areas. With the addition of 29 new LGAs, the state, which has an estimated population of about 10 million, will have a total of 49 local government areas once the National Assembly completes the process. In a letter to Senator Barau Jibrin, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, Yerima said: “I am pleased to inform you that the Bauchi State House of Assembly has passed into law a bill to provide for the creation of 29 new additional local government areas in Bauchi State, 2025.” He added that the new LGAs will remain provisional until the National Assembly enacts an accompanying law to formalize their names and status, in line with Section 8(5) of the 1999 Constitution. Yerima noted that the law was passed in accordance with Subsection 3 of Section 100 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

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