These are not the best of times for Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Saad Abubakar as his Chief of Staff/Sarkin Fada of Sokoto, Kabir Tafida was interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th July, 2017.
Kabir Tafida was questioned over a suspicious transfer of N700 million into his account from the Sokoto State Government account. He was released on administrative bail on Wednesday 26th July, 2017 evening following what a source described as “unceasing pressure on the EFCC by the Sultan and the Sokoto State Government”.
He was first invited to the EFCC office in Abuja on Tuesday where he was interrogated by a team of investigators. He was then asked to return on Wednesday for more questioning.
One source said the money in question was taken from the Sokoto State’s share of the Paris club refund recently made to Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The kingmaker is not known to have offered any service to the government, investigators said, adding, “the suspect has also been receiving huge funds from the government of Sokoto on behalf of the Sultan.”
Mr. Tafida was reportedly allowed to go home on Tuesday on self recognizance following pressure from the Sultan and the Sokoto governor, another source said.
However, a top official of the state government said the N700 million traced to the Sarkin Fada “is from the government of Sokoto State and is meant for the purchase of a House for the Sultan in Abuja”.
He said the monarch lacked official residence in the nation’s capital, adding, “the matter was discussed extensively at the meeting of the state executive council and due approval granted.
“In fact, the money is captured in the state’s 2017 budget and was officially released.”
But investigators said the state has to explain why the funds was transferred to Mr. Tafida’s personal account rather than that of the Sultanate.
“Also why was the money not paid to an estate agent or a contractor buying or building a house for the Sultan,” one investigator said. “As far as we are concerned, there is something suspicious about this transaction.”
Source: PremiumTimes