EFCC seizes former governor’s N500m house ---Nigeria News Today

– EFCC officials have seized a house belonging to former acting governor of Adamawa state, Umar Fintiri

– The terrace house which is located in Abuja is said to be woth N500m

– The former acting governor was arrested by the anti-graft agency following a petition that he embezzled N1.9bn when he acted as governor

– Fintiri acted as the Adamawa state governor from July 15, 2014 to October 8, 2014

Umaru Fintiri

A terrace house  belonging to a former acting Governor of Adamawa state, Umaru Fintiri has been seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to The Punch, the house is located on No. 7, Gana Street, Maitama, Abuja is worth about N500m.

Fintiri who was the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, became acting governor after the impeachment of the substantive governor, Murtala Nyako, and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, in 2014.

The former acting governor was arrested 10 days ago by the anti-graft agency following a petition by former members of his cabinet that he embezzled N1.9bn during the three months he acted as governor.

A source at the EFCC said that Fintiri allegedly diverted the fund that was meant for the construction of the Faculty of Law at the Adamawa State University.

He said: “Before his impeachment, Nyako left a balance of N1,957,045,82 in the state government’s project account with the Yola branch of Zenith Bank, with account number 1011325467. Out of the money, N497m was meant for the construction of a law faculty at the university, which was to be sited at the former Teachers’ College, Yola.

“However, when Fintiri took over as acting governor, he transferred the proposed faculty from Yola to the Mubi campus of the ADSU and later laid the foundation; but after that, the project never took off.”

 EFCC is also investigating a loan of N5bn taken by Fintiri as acting governor. It was alleged that the suspect took the loan without following due process.

However, a spokesman for Fintiri, said the allegations were baseless, adding that all the contracts were awarded in accordance with the laws of the state.

He said Fintiri’s house was not seized but was only put under investigation

 Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri was Adamawa state governor after impeachment of Murtala Nyako. He acted as the state governor from July 15, 2014 to October 8, 2014.

After the impeachment of Nyako and the resignation of his deputy, Bala Ngilari, Fintiri who was the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, was sworn into office as the new acting governor in 2014.