EFCC Arrests Adamawa’s former Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri

As the fight against corruption continues, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday quizzed and subsequently detained a former acting governor of Adamawa state, Mr Umaru Fintiri, for allegedly misappropriating the sum of N1.9billion during the short period he spent in office.

According to The Nation, the former acting governor is being investigated by the EFCC for alleged abuse of office and corruption.

The Newspaper said a source within the anti-graft agency hinted that the ex-governor was invited based on a petition submitted by a former member of his cabinet but it became necessary to detain him to enable investigators to grill him further.

The source said:

“From our preliminary findings, we discovered that while in office, the administration of Fintiri awarded two road contracts including a N1billion work for Yola township road and another N1.9billion for road project in Mararaba Garta, which was ravaged by Boko Haram.

“From our preliminary findings, the two projects were awarded to Roycon Limited. Although there was evidence of the execution of Yola road project, the contracting firm could not move to Mararaba Garta because of Boko Haram insurgency.

“But from records available, Roycon Limited was given a mobilization fee of N20million. But the said N200million was later traced to Mayim Construction and Properties Limited which is allegedly owned by Fintiri.

“About $3.8million from the contract sum was alleged to have been paid to Fintiri who used it to purchase a property in Taraba State.”

The EFCC source added: “Investigation so far revealed that Fintiri took a loan from a bank to set up a tea farm on Mambilla Plateau. But when he allegedly got the $3.8million, he diverted it to offset the loan.

Mr Umaru Fintiri may be spending some days with the EFCC before he is admitted to bail, according to the EFCC source who hinted that Fintiri may need to answer questions on how Adamawa state’s debt profile rose from N8.7bn to N13.85 within four months that he was acting governor.

Fintiri  who was initially the speaker of the Adamawa state assembly, became acting governor in July 2014 following the impeachment of former Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari