Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle has claimed that the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa demanded a $2 million bribe from him.
The governor said that the anti-graft agency boss was blackmailing him for not meeting his demand.
The EFCC had said last Thursday that Matawalle was being investigated for allegedly diverting over N70 billion state funds.
But speaking during an interview with the BBC Hausa on Friday, Matawalle denied embezzling the state funds and also said Bawa could not be trusted.
“It is not just to always blame governors. It is not only governors who have treasury, the federal government also has. What does the EFCC boss do to them? As he is claiming he has evidence on governors, let him show to the world evidence of those at the federal level.
“If he exits office, people will surely know he is not an honest person. I have evidence against him. Let him vacate office, I am telling you within 10 seconds probably more than 200 people will bring evidences of bribe he collected from them. He knows what he requested from me but I declined.
“He requested a bribe of $2 million from me and I have evidence of this. He knows the house we met, he invited me and told me the conditions. He told me governors were going to his office but I did not. If I don’t have evidence, I won’t say this.
“He knows what is between us. He requested a favour from me, and I refused him, so he has chosen to blackmail me, but I’m not bothered.
