Kazaure was taken into custody on Wednesday, shortly after a High Court in Kano vacated a restraining order that had previously barred the anti-graft agency from arresting him.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Hon. Gudaji Kazaure, a former member of the House of Representatives, over allegations of receiving N70 million from the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
According to Daily Nigerian, the arrest followed a fresh legal green light after a Kano High Court lifted a previous restraining order that had stopped the EFCC from detaining Kazaure.
Sources within the EFCC revealed that the former lawmaker, who represented Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi Federal Constituency in Jigawa State, initially received N20 million in two separate tranches. The funds were delivered via an intermediary identified as Mr. Eric, allegedly for the purchase of “Sallah Rams.”
Further investigations revealed that Kazaure later collected an additional N50 million from Emefiele, reportedly as a “donation” following a fire outbreak at his residence.
“He received N20 million through Mr. Emefiele’s emissary named Mr. Eric to buy Sallah Rams. Then, after a fire incident at his home, he received another N50 million from Emefiele,” a source within the Commission disclosed.
Currently, Kazaure is being held at the EFCC office in Kano, but reports suggest he may be moved to Abuja soon, where formal charges are expected to be filed.
This arrest comes nearly two years after Kazaure publicly accused Emefiele of mismanaging public funds. In December 2022, Kazaure alleged that N89.1 trillion in Stamp Duty charges had disappeared under the former CBN governor’s supervision. He also claimed he was being prevented from submitting a preliminary report from a presidential committee set up by former President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the matter.
However, the allegations were quickly dismissed by the presidency. Garba Shehu, who served as the presidential spokesperson at the time, stated that the committee had long been dissolved, and labeled Kazaure’s claims as baseless.
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