The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sokoto Zonal Office, has arrested two Chinese men, Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuoi, for offering its Zonal Head, Abdullahi Lawal, N50 million alleged bribe.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja by its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, EFCC disclosed that the suspects were arrested on Monday, May 11, 2020 in Sokoto. According to Oyewale, the alleged bribe was offered in a desperate bid to compromise ongoing investigation of a construction company, China Zhonghao Nigeria Limited, handling Zamfara State Government contracts worth N50 billion between 2012 and 2019.

He further disclosed that the zonal office was investigating the construction company in connection with contracts for the construction of township roads in Gummi, Bukkuyun, Anka and Nasarawa towns of Zamfara, as well as the construction of 168 solar-powered boreholes in the 14 councils of the state.

“Alarmed by the consistency and professionalism of investigation being conducted, the company reached out to Lawal with an offer of N100 million as bribe to ‘bury’ the matter.

“In a grand design to trap the corrupt officials, Lawal played along and, on Monday, two representatives of the company, Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuoi, offered him N50 million cash in their office along Airport Road, Sokoto. The cash was offered as a first instalment. The suspects were promptly arrested with the cash as evidence,” he stated.

Investigation of the construction company, The Guardian gathered, was informed by an intelligence on alleged conspiracy, official corruption and money laundering against the Zamfara government through inflated and uncompleted contracts awarded to the company.

“Investigations have so far revealed that China Zounghao Limited has received over N41 billion from the Zamfara State government, out of which about N16 billion was allegedly diverted and traced to some bureau de change operators.”