Ibrahim Magaji, media aide to former governor of Zamfara State, Abdul-azeez Yari, has confirmed a story by SaharaReporters by acknowledging that his principal was flown to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
SaharaReporters had on Saturday reported how Yari, who was in a bad shape medically, was brought to the airport in a wheelchair ahead of a six-hour-long flight to the UK on a British Airways aircraft.
“Yari is flying to UK on British Airways flight for a medical trip. He was even brought in a wheelchair,” a source at the airport confirmed to SaharaReporters.
Reacting to the report, Magaji said his principal was truly flown abroad for medical reasons.
He said, “Yes, he is going for a routine medical check in the United Kigdoom. He has been going there to check his troubled leg.
“Yesterday, before his departure, he met with some people who came to see him from Niger Republic.”
Yari was governor of Zamfara State from May 2011 to May 2019.
In April 2021, he was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged illegal financial dealings and misappropriation of funds.
Before then in February of that year, he was also grilled by EFCC operatives in Lagos after which the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of funds belonging to him domiciled in Zenith and Polaris banks.
Among alleged financial infractions against Yari include the sum of $56,056.75 reportedly lodged in his account with Polaris Bank; N12.9m, N11.2m, $303m, N217,388.04 and $311.8m said to be kept in different Zenith Bank accounts in his name and companies.
