Ex-Zamfara governor, Yari loses cash, assets worth billions of naira

A former governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulazeez Yari has suffered forfeiture of $669,248.89 and N24,289,910.89 to the Federal Government.

The amount was discovered in companies accounts, BT Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited and Kayatawa Nigeria Limited owned by the former governor.

Also, the sums of N217,388,040 and $311,872 were found in a bank account belonging to BT Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited and another N11,159,674.80 and $301,319.99 kept in an account belonging to Kayatawa Nigeria Limited were also forfeited to the government through a Court judgement.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) while prosecuting the politician also ordered interim forfeiture of 29 duplexes in different estates in Jabi, Maitama, Kaduna, Zamfara and Abuja.

The former governor was accused of lying in his assets declaration by the ICPC, adding the he dubiously diverted Zamfara State funds into his business interest through Kayatawa Nigeria Limited and B T Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited.

The anti-graft agency revealed that Yaris’s company, BT Oil and Gas Limited had on June 18, 2015, received a transfer of N150m from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum as Chairman of the Forum.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, subsequently granted a motion by the ICPC seeking permanent forfeiture of the funds.

It could not be ascertained if Yari had appealed the forfeiture order as his lawyer, Mahmoud Magaji, could not be reached for comments on Saturday. He did not respond to calls and he had yet to reply to an SMS sent to his mobile telephone.

The ICPC stated that its motivation for seeking the orders was because “the victim of the alleged crime is the Zamfara State Government and by extension the Federal Government of Nigeria and innocent taxpayers, which include judges of courts across Nigeria.”