EFCC arrests ex-Nasarawa Gov, Al-Makura

FORMER governor of Nassarawa State and Senator, Representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District in National Assembly, Tanko Al-Makura and his wife, Hajia Mairo have been arrested by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of money laundering.

  A source at the commission said they were arrested yesterday evening when they were grilled by operatives of the anti-graft agency at its headquarters in Abuja.

  Though the source did not give details of the allegation against the ex-governor and his wife, he said their arrest was not unconnected with some sleazy deals allegedly carried out by Al-Makura in his time as governor of Nasarawa State between 2011 and 2019 after the anti-graft agency unearthed 55 bank accounts that were tracing to the couple and their companies.

  According to the source, several suspicious transactions amounting to billions of naira were carried out through the bank accounts when Al-Makura.

  The source further said some of the transactions involved huge sums of money that were funneled through the accounts in a structured pattern, including cash transfers into a company owned by Al-Makura and his wife without plausible explanations.

  Spokesperson of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, declined to comment on the couple’s arrest.