A panel setup to investigate and recover all government funds and assets carted away by government officials in Bauchi State has disclosed how former governor, Mohammed Abubakar ‘sold to himself seven government luxury vehicles’.
Spokesman of the panel, Umar Ningi disclosed that out of the seven luxury cars the governor allegedly sold to himself, one of them was a Landcruiser Armoured Jeep worth N150m, with chassis number JTMHX09J9F4089580 and was auctioned at the cost of N7.8m.
“This is a car you can get for about N150m, but the former governor, Mohammed Abubakar, sold it to himself for just N7.8m. Other vehicles are: Landcruiser V8, with chassis number JTMHX09J8D4050814, sold at N2.8m; Toyota Hilux, with chassis number MROFX22G2F1436641, sold at the cost of N1.05m; and a Toyota Hilux, with chassis number MROFX22G701415100, sold at N1.05m.
While reacting to the panel’s claim, the Governor, through his former Special Adviser, Abubakar Ali said it was lawful for any government to purchase any vehicle that had been used for more than three years adding that his former principal had done no wrong in the eyes of the law.
Ali said, “Our attention has been drawn to the rehash of the several ‘sins’ of former Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar while in office and presented as ‘fresh’ evidence of his corruption and abuse of office.”
He continued: “These are gross distortions. The law provides that users of government vehicles that have been in use for upwards of three years are at liberty to purchase them.
