EFCC invites petitions over Borno senator’s N135m cash gift

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has asked Nigerians demanding an investigation into the N135.6m cash donation made by the senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District, Kaka Lawan, to All Progressives Congress officials in the state as Sallah gift, to submit a formal petition to the agency.

The anti-graft agency said it would only act based on facts and formal complaints, and not social media reactions or speculations.

EFCC’s reaction followed public outrage that trailed the distribution of the money by the senator to APC executives in his constituency ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

Speaking to Sunday PidomNigeria on Saturday, the spokesperson for EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said any individual or group that believes the lawmaker may have violated any law should officially report the matter to the commission.

“Anybody who feels that he (Lawan) has contravene the law or he is suspected to have contravene the law should write a petition to the EFCC and the EFCC will look into it.”

“The right thing to do is, if they feel that he (Lawan) has broken any law, as a private citizen, they can write a petition to us and the commission will look into it.

“It is not enough to be making commentaries on social media and all of that, the EFCC works with facts and not speculations.

“So, if they feel that he has broken any law, they can write a petition to us and we will look at it. The commission has a track record of looking very diligently into any issue that is referred to. So, anybody that feels that the EFCC should intervene, they should write a petition to us,” Oyewale said.

The controversy began after an aide to the senator, Usman Alkali, disclosed in a Facebook post that Lawan distributed N135,650,000 to APC executives across Borno Central as Sallah packages.

The post, written in Hausa and translated by our correspondent, read: “Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan shares N135,650,000 to APC executives in Borno Central for Eid al-Kabir celebration.”

Alkali said the funds were distributed on Thursday to party executives across the senator’s constituency, noting that the intervention was to support preparations for the festive period.

“Distinguished senator representing Borno Central, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (SAN), on Thursday distributed cash to APC executives in his Borno Central constituency, totalling N135,650,000 as Sallah package to celebrate the Eid-Kabir festival.

“This is the third time the Senator has given such a donation since becoming a member of the National Assembly,” he said.

According to him, the gesture was intended to appreciate party executives for their commitment to strengthening democracy and upholding its principles.

The cash donation, however, generated outrage on social media, with many Nigerians calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the lawmaker for alleged money laundering.