A panel set up by the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed to recover government funds and assets carted away by officials of former administration has accused immediate past governor, Mohammed Abubakar of selling some luxury cars belonging to the state to himself.

The Funds and Assets Recovery Committee, which was inaugurated on July 12, 2019, alleged that the former governor also sold seven luxury government vehicles for N19,877,275 shortly before leaving the office.

The Public Relations Officer 1 of the committee, Alhaji Umar Ningi, while speaking at a press conference at the VIP 9 in Bauchi said the committee carried out its findings within the ambit of the laws of the federation and the state House of Assembly.

Ningi alleged that one of the seven cars the ex-governor sold to himself, a Landcruiser Armoured Jeep worth N150m, with chassis number JTMHX09J9F4089580, was auctioned at the cost of N7.8m, Punch reports. 

He said, “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.

“Others are a Range Rover SUV, with chassis number SALWA2VF3EA366819, sold at the cost of N2.9m; Range Rover SUV, with chassis number SALLSAAD4DA800170, sold at the cost of N2.1m; and Range Rover SUV, with chassis number SALLSAAD4DA81373, sold at the cost of N2.1m.”

Ningi maintained that the way the vehicles were sold was in violation of the provisions of the Bauchi State Budget Monitoring, Price Intelligence and Public Procurement Law (2008).

According to him, 15 out of the 30 exotic cars carted away by the officials of the previous administration have been recovered. 

He further said that the committee discovered that the ex-governor also sold a house belonging to Bauchi State Government to himself at a highly subsidised rate.

Ningi said the house with a Certificate of Occupancy No. BA/40245, is located adjacent to Wikki Hotel.

In June, the state governor had earlier accused his predecessor of spending N2.3bn on burial materials saying he would recover everything that has been stolen from the state's treasury during his tenure.

Mohammed Abubakar was the governor of Bauchi state between 2015 and 2019 on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).