FORMER minister of mines and steel Alhaji Musa Sada has confessed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he collecting a N700m (£2.4m) bribe for the ex-Katsina State governor Ibrahim Shema.
Alhaji Sada is being investigated as part of the ongoing probe into how public funds were used by the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government to finance ex-President Goodluck Jonathan's 2015 election campaign. After being arrested and interrogated, the former minister owned up that he did indeed play a part in the N23.29bn poll bribery scandal.
According to EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, Alhaji Sada told investigators that he was authorised by Governor Shema to collect the money on behalf of Katsina State and remit it to a former finance commissioner to keep for the governor. Mr Uwujaren also said a former minister of state for agriculture, Hadjia Asabe Asmau Ahmed, from Niger State, revealed how she personally signed and collected N450m.
He said Hadjia Ahmed admitted that she kept N105m for herself while the balance was given to top PDP officials in Niger State. Already, several senior members of the PDP in Niger State have threatened to sue Hadjia Asmau Ahmed, for saying she gave part of the money to them.
A former state chairman of the party, Abdurrahman Enagi, said he was not aware of the money. Also, a former financial secretary of the party, Umar Ahmad Rijau, said that they were dumbfounded by her statement.
“We are surprised to hear this ridiculous allegation. She should come out and mention the names of the people that shared the money we will sue her,” he added.
Similarly, a former auditor of the party, Attahiru Yunusa, also said he was not aware of the money allegedly shared by the former minister. A former legal adviser of the party, Barrister Zubairu Abdullahi, also said the former minister should be specific with her claims.
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