The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced that it has not declared Muhammad Bello Matawalle, the immediate-past governor of Zamfara State, wanted contrary to news reports by some media outfits.

Reacting to the news report captioned, “Alleged N70b Fraud: EFCC Declares Ex-Zamfara Gov, Matawalle Wanted”, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, described the report as false. Noting that the agency has procedures for declaring anyone wanted.

Part of the EFCC statement said, “the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been drawn to a report, entitled, Alleged N70b Fraud: EFCC Declares Ex-Zamfara Gov, Matawalle Wanted, which appeared in the Sunday Tribune of June 18, 2023 and purports that the commission had declared a former Zamafara State governor, Bello Matawalle wanted and requested the Department of State Service, DSS, to arrest him, ‘anywhere he is seen’.

The commission's spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren said in a statement, “Without prejudice to the case involving the former governor, the report is incorrect as the commission has yet to declare Matawalle wanted or solicit the assistance of any agency, including the DSS, to effect his arrest.

“The commission has standard procedure for declaring persons wanted and communicating the same to the public, not through faceless ‘security sources’.”