A former Accountant General of Sokoto State, Aminu Abdullah, has refuted claims by former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa that he left ₦13 billion in government coffers when he exited office in 2007.
He described Bafarawa statement as baseless and unfounded.
Abdullah stated this at a press conference on Thursday.
He clarified that the state did not inherit even ₦300 million from the former governor.
“I am here to address the remarks made by Bafarawa during the donation of a one billion naira endowment fund at his residence yesterday. He claimed that he left behind a whopping sum of N13 billion when he handed over. This claim is completely false,” Abdullah stated.
He explained that the controversy over the funds led the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the matter.
According to Abdullah, government funds were managed through commercial banks and during Bafarawa’s administration, the consolidated revenue fund accounts were held at the United Bank for Africa.
He provided specific account details, stating, “As of May 29, 2007, the VAT account had only seven million naira, while the main account contained just N259 million. When you combine all 27 accounts operated during his administration, they do not come close to the N13 billion claimed.”
Abdullah emphasized that there was no record of the ₦13 billion in the handover notes, and all bank statements submitted to the EFCC corroborated his claims.