A  row has broken out between  a  former  governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji  Mamuda Shinkafi, and a  former Minister of State for Finance under the Jonathan regime, Alhaji  Bashir Yuguda, over the  disbursement of the state’s share of the N450 million from the N24 billion campaign money, allegedly  given by a former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke, to prosecute the 2015 polls.

Yuguda had reportedly told operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that Shinkafi got N15 million from the money but the former governor disputed the claim, insisting that he was merely told of the money but did not receive it.

The former Finance Minister said, in writing to the EFCC that the former Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Aminu Ahmed Nasiha, and one Alhaji Mallaha signed for the money which was shared in his (Yuguda’s) house. However, when Shinkafi and Nasiha were summoned to the Zonal Office of the EFCC in Kano, yesterday, they denied the former Minister’s position and pleaded with the commission to free them.

The two men were, however, being detained by the EFCC in Kano as of the time of this report and it was unclear if they would be granted bail at the weekend. The former SSG admitted that he got N2 million as against the N5 million claimed by Yuguda and told  the EFCC that he had since refunded the cash. EFCC, Sunday Vanguard learnt, was trying to establish how much each  of the suspects may have collected with a view to taking steps to retrieve the money.

The operatives were working hard to establish from Shinkafi if indeed he got a share of N15 million as alleged by Yuguda. Other beneficiaries listed by Yuguda are  a former senator, Zamfara PDP Chairman and his executive members who reportedly received N5 million. Also on the list are 13 Zamfara Local Government Councils, N26 million each totaling N338 million.

Vanguard……

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