Disturbed by reports that some government officials are seeking to travel out of the country before May 29 hand over date, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), on Thursday, urged security agencies, especially the anti-graft operatives, to stop appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari with any corruption allegation from leaving the country before May 29 handover date under any guise.

CNG specifically called on the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to clear all the allegations against him before leaving the country, urging President Buhari to cancel any approved study leave for the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

CNG Spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, who stated this in Abuja, during a press briefing on Thursday, also kicked against plots to scuttle the May 29 handover, saying those who have such plans should be taken as enemies of the state and must face the wrath of the law.

Suleiman said: “We demand that when the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari bows out of office, all key office holders must be asked to clear themselves of all pending corruption and other allegations against them.

“We insist, in particular, that the CBN governor must be made to give an account of his tenure to the incoming administration. We demand that if any study leave has been approved for Emefiele or any other suspected official, it should be canceled in the interest of peaceful transfer of power, accountability and good governance.

“The CNG observes that just recently, precisely on Monday, May 15, 2023, the Nigeria Police headquarters confirmed that plots to scuttle the May 29th official inauguration of the new administration of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and governors at the state level are real.

“We demand that anybody or group found remotely involved with the financing, direct execution or concealing information on this sinister and diabolic scheme, be treated appropriately as a treasonable felon and enemy of the state and fellow citizens.”

“We observe that earlier, on May 4, 2023, the nation's Military High Command also alerted on plans to scuttle the May 29 handover and warned the plotters to shelve the idea.

“It specifically said its officers are on standby to forestall any unwanted happening in the country before, during and after the transition.

“We observed also that two weeks earlier, the Defence Headquarters had raised the same alarm that some individuals are plotting with foreign collaborators to disrupt the May 29 inauguration and vowed to track them down.

“We observe that much earlier, the Department of State Services (DSS) had confirmed a clandestine plot by some politicians to derail the handover and install an interim government in Nigeria.

“The CNG has observed also that allegations are growing strong of Emefiele’s planned study leave abroad, presumably to escape Nigeria before the inauguration and avoid questions around alleged terrorism financing, other economic and financial misdemeanors and the introduction of the currency redesign policy in a bid to create obstacles for Tinubu during the presidential campaign which ended up in mass national suffering and confusion.

“We also note some state governors represented by Mohammed Matawalle of Zamfara State have raised the alarm that the the alarm that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman plans an unjust isolated probe of only outgoing governors while excluding the Federal Government functionaries and even the Presidency.

“We also observe that the EFCC boss is making this vow without mention of scrutinizing the EFCC itself were recent reports made an embarrassing revelation of officers fighting to the point of death over recovered items in Sokoto.”

The CNG further urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to extend its investigation of corrupt practices to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.

“We reject the purported plan to limit the searchlight to only outgoing state governors and demand that the EFCC Chairman carries out a holistic probe by extending the beam on the Presidency, Federal Government ministries, parastatals and cabinet members of the outgoing administration.”

“We also demand a thorough search into allegations against the EFCC itself as well as the disabling volume of debt amassed for the country by the outgoing administration” the group added.