Niger to EFCC: Kantigi Looted N6bn Hajj subsidies
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been enjoined to declare former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deputy governorship aspirant in Niger state, Kantigi Liman, wanted sequel to N6 billion traced to his accounts in GTB and UBA.
Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, who made the call in a statement on Sunday, declared that the money belong to the state government, adding that it was looted from Hajj subsidies.
“We can tell you that the funds were siphoned from the local government joint account of Niger State and also through inflated Hajj subsidies offered by the state government to Pilgrims within the periods he served as the Chairman of the Niger State Pilgrims’ Agency,” the Commissioner for Information said.
Vatsa insisted that the former Commissioner of Local Government cannot deny knowledge of the fresh N2 billion traced to a United Bank for Africa (UBA) account by the agency.
Prompt News Online recalls that Kantigi, had in a statement over the weekend said he was not aware of the said account with N2 billion that they claimed belonged to him.
He stated further, “We know Kantigi has been elusive. We know he is on the run. We want him declared wanted by the anti-graft agency. He should appear and tell Nigerians how and where he got the money. The N6billion recovered so far belongs to the Niger state government.
“Governor Abubakar Sani Bello had on Friday told the agency that the funds belong to the state. We hope that the recovered N6 billion would be transferred to the state’s accounts to enable this administration embark on developmental projects”.
Prompt News recalls that the EFCC recently announced that it had traced N4 billion to accounts linked to Kantigi in the Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB. It later announced another N2 billion linked to the politician in a UBA account.
