As the race for the president of the 10th Senate gains momentum, an aspirant in the Democratic Group of the Senators- Elect, Senator-Elect Abdul-Aziz Yari, has ran to the judiciary to prevent his re-arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies for corruption cases he was linked with as well as emerging money laundering investigation into his spending in pursuit of his ambition.
Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Abuja Division of Federal High had in an injunctions obtained by Senator Yari, barred EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission, ICPC, as well as Directorate of State Services, DSS, from re-arresting him pending the hearing and determination of an exparte motion he filed before the court.
The former governor has been under investigations by the anti – corruption agency.
Sources familiar with the investigations by the EFCC stated that the ongoing investigation of the N81 billion fraud by former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, in which Senator -Elect Yari was linked and previously arrested but released on bail is still pending with more information coming to light on the role of Yari and his associate, one Anthony Yaro of Finex Professional Services suspected to be a front that collected N20 billion of the looted fund on behalf of Yari.
A source in EFCC who wants to remain anonymous on the sensitive case said “with the court order that we read in the newspapers, we may need our Legal Department opinion on what to do.”
He said further that “In addition to new revelations on the massive fraud at the Accountant General of the Federation Office for which some refund has been made, in the EFCC investigations of the ex-governor of Zamfara State, Mr. Bello Matawale, the name of Yari has also surfaced in the alleged massive looting of the resources of that poor state under his watch as governor. We are making efforts to locate him (Yari) for further interrogation in this regard.”
In similar manner, the ICPC was about to invite Senator-Elect Yari for his role in the fraud of Paris Club Refund to governors when he was the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) for which about N500million and $500,000 have been forfeited to the Federal Government.
“The Senator Elect from Zamfara West is a subject of inquiry in our office. Beyond the Paris Club Refund looting, we are also investigating the disclosure that Yari spent at least $700,000 in Saudi Arabia on a trip for lesser hajj which has raised suspicion of money laundering” an ICPC source disclosed on why he may have approached the court to prevent his invitation.
Aside from running to the court to frustrate his imminent re-arrest, Yari is also reportedly planning to go underground in the coming days to prevent possible arrest for questioning days before the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
As if the above alleged humongous financial malfeasances were not enough troubles for the Senator-Elect who has remained defiant of the zoning arrangement for the leadership of the 10th Senate by his party, the APC, another source disclosed that the Department of the State Security (DSS) has also unearthed some information that the killings and banditry in Zamfara state may not be unconnected with the alleged gold mining activities of Yari which is suspected to be another source of his unexplained wealth.
Observers are keenly watching how Senator-Elect Yari will free himself from the many tangles he has walked himself into and whether the judiciary will vacate the ex-parte motion when the matter comes up on Thursday, 8th June, 2023 to allow the security agencies to perform their roles without let or hiderance.
