By Gbadamosi Oladimeji
The Sokoto Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), has arrested two Chinese businessmen for allegedly offering a sum of N100 million as bribe to its Zonal Head, Mr. Abdullahi Lawal.
The pair are reportedly part of an illegal company known as China Zhonghao Construction, handling contracts awarded by the Zamfara State Government between 2012 and 2019 to the tune of N50bn.
It was gathered that in a grand design to trap the corrupt expatriates, Lawal played along, and on Monday, Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuoi offered him cash totalling N50m in their office along airport road, Sokoto, in which the cash was offered as a first installment.
However, the suspects were promptly arrested with the funds as an evidence.
According to the EFCC, the kickback was allegedly tendered in a desperate bid to compromise ongoing investigations into their company’s deals in connection with the execution of contracts for the construction of township roads in Gummi, Bukkuyun, Anka and Nassarawa towns of Zamfara State; and also the construction of 168 solar-powered boreholes in the 14 local government areas of the State.
Alarmed by the consistency and professionalism of investigation being conducted, the company reached out to Lawal with an offer of N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) as bribe to “bury” the matter,”
Investigations have so far revealed that China Zounghao Ltd. has received payments of over N41billion from the Zamfara State Government, out of which, about N16 billion equivalent to over $53 million was allegedly diverted and traced to some bureau de change operators
EFCC noted that the abuse of office, stealing and money laundering obtained against the Zamfara State government through inflated and uncompleted contracts awarded to the company.
EFCC, however, assured that the suspects would soon be charged to court.
