Bauchi state Government’s Funds and Assets Recovery Committee has alleged that the immediate past Governor of the state, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, sold to himself seven posh vehicles at N19, 877, 275 only before leaving office.
The Governor of the state, Senator Bala Mohammed, had inaugurated the Assets and Property Recovery Committee on July 12, 2019, with the mandate to recover all stolen funds and assets belonging to the state.
Addressing a press conference in Bauchi on Friday, the Public Relations Officer 1 of the committee, Umar Barau Ningi, said the committee took a firm decision to operate within the boundaries of laws of the Federation and other enabling laws enacted by the Bauchi State House of Assembly, in the discharge of its assignment.
Ningi stated that of the seven posh cars, the former governor sold one of them, a Land Cruiser Armoured Jeep, with Chassis No. JTMHX09J9F4089580 for N7,800,000.00 to himself.
He said, “This is a car you can get for about N150 million but the former governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, sold it to himself for just N7,800,000.00.”
This, he said was in violation of the provisions of Bauchi State Budget Monitoring, Price Intelligence and Public Procurement Law (BMPIPP 2008).
“The committee discovered that the former governor sold to himself, seven (7) posh vehicles belonging to Bauchi state government in violation of provisions of Bauchi State Budget Monitoring, Price Intelligence and Public Procurement Law (BMPIPP 2008), for the disposal of government assets and/or properties.
“The vehicles are as follows: Land Cruiser V8, with Chassis No. JTMHX09J8D4050814 sold at the cost N2,800,000.00, Toyota Hilux, with Chassis No. MROFX22G2F1436641 sold at the cost of N1,050,000.00 and a Toyota Hilux, with Chassis No. MROFX22G701415100 sold at the cost of N1,050,000.00.
“Others are a Range Rover (Jeep), with Chassis No. SALWA2VF3EA366819 sold at the cost of N2,947,875.00, Range Rover (Jeep), with Chassis No. SALLSAAD4DA800170 sold at the cost of N2,114,700.00 and Range Rover (Jeep), with Chassis No. SALLSAAD4DA81373 sold at the cost of N2,114,700.00,” Ningi stated.
The committee’s spokesman further disclosed that some officials of the last administration carted away 30 exotic cars when they left office.
He disclosed that the committee has so far recovered 15 of those vehicles while the remaining are still being traced with the aim of also recovering them.
