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It’s Witchhunt, ADC Alleges As EFCC Detains, Interrogates Tambuwal
By Eric Elezuo
The coalition umbrella party, African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cried foul over the arrest and detention of its key members, including the former Govvernor of Sokoto State, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, who is presently undergoing interrogation, describing it as political witchhunt of opposition leaders.
Tambuwal was arrested and detained on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the allegation of ‘suspicious’ withdrawal of N189 billion from the Sokoto State Government account during his tenure as governor.
Kicking against the move, the party, in a statement by the Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, advised EFCC to focus on corruption instead of “harassing” opposition figures. It accused the EFCC of selective investigation, and behaving like a hit squad of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It warned that the dangerous trend could erode public trust in the institution and undermine the anti-corruption fight.
It maintained that EFCC’s recent pattern of re-opening closed cases, digging up files from years past, and targeting members of opposition parties suggests that it is not an anti-graft body, but a political enforcer.
The statement reads: “In recent days, several senior members of the opposition coalition have received EFCC summons that are clearly politically motivated.
“These are not fresh cases arising from new evidence but new files opened in reaction to emergent political affiliations to intimidate key opposition figures.
“The EFCC was created to be a fearless defender of the Nigerian people’s trust, applying the law evenly to all, friend or foe, ruling party or opposition.
“Today, that vision appears to have been compromised.
“The Commission now operates like a department of the APC, deployed to fight government critics and opposition figures, thereby achieving what the government cannot achieve through public debate.
“We have observed how investigations into ruling party allies quietly fade away while opposition figures are dragged before the court of public opinion with sometimes decade-old allegations that have been hastily revived and dressed up as fresh evidence.
“This is selective prosecution, and selective prosecution is the death of justice.
“It does appear that in today’s Nigeria, one’s guilt or innocence depends on one’s party membership, not evidence.
“For example, since a certain former governor defected to the APC with his state’s entire political machinery, the EFCC’s investigations into his administration have vanished from public view.
“Not a question has been asked. Not a document leaked. Not a single update.
“Yet the same EFCC still somehow finds means to reopen old cases against opposition leaders and pursue the stale allegations against them.”
“It does not augur well for the EFCC if people think that all you need to point the accusing hands of the Commission in your direction is to stand opposed to the ruling party, and all that it takes for protection is to align with the government.
“Unfortunately, this is the widely established perception in Nigeria today, which the commission by its recent actions, including the ongoing surreptitious harassment of opposition leaders, has given credence to.
“The ADC hereby calls on all Nigerians, civil society organisations, and the independent media to resist this dangerous slide into dictatorship and misuse of public institutions to achieve partisan objectives.
“The EFCC does not belong to the APC. It belongs to the Nigerian people.
“It is funded by taxpayers, not the ruling party.”
Tambuwal was arrested and detained on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the allegation of ‘suspicious’ withdrawal of N189 billion from the Sokoto State Government account during his tenure as governor.
According to the anti-graft agency, the withdrawal was carried out incrementally for six years out of his eight-year tenure.
The senator honoured the invitation of the anti-graft agency at about 11:30am in Abuja on Monday, but was detained.
The EFCC said that the withdrawals were from three accounts: the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), the Government House Account and the Secretary to the State Government Account in flagrant violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
“We have isolated all the allegations for Tambuwal. It is left to him to respond.”
The source said the accounts received a total cumulative inflow of N567,160,024,619.93, out of which N189,155,043,825.09 was illegally diverted.
The EFCC fact sheet states: “The EFCC carried out financial profiling of the Sokoto State Government.
“This profiling was aimed at identifying the state government’s accounts that may have been exposed to diversion, misappropriation of public funds and money laundering by government officials.
“Analysis of the state government’s activities from 1st of January, 2015 to August 31st, 2021 uncovered unusual transactions in the following accounts: Accountant General Sokoto FAAC, Secretary to the State Government, Permanent Secretary, Government House.
“Specifically, the above accounts received a total cumulative inflow of N567,160,024,619.93, out of which N189,155,043,825.09 was withdrawn in favour of government officials, individuals (suspected to be cashiers), companies and other groups/agencies.
“In light of the findings, it is assessed with a high degree of confidence that the named individuals (suspected to be cashiers) and identified government officials are involved in the diversion of public funds, misappropriation of state government funds and money laundering activities.
“The following are suggested: Investigation should commence on other state government accounts to identify other accounts that are prone to unwholesome acts of state officials.
“Investigate the named individuals and identified government officials to know the extent of their involvement.
“Investigate FAAC account payouts to private companies; Nagarta Microfinance Bank and Bilya Micro System,” the document said.
Nigeria on Wednesday made a high-level presentation to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in London, United Kingdom, as part of efforts to advance its bid to host the 2030 centenary edition of the Commonwealth Games.
The Nigerian delegation, led by Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, and Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, emphasised that the bid is an opportunity to foster a shared legacy that epitomises the Commonwealth spirit.
Nigeria presented an all-inclusive bid, with focus areas such as sports excellence, arts, international cultural exchange, tapping into a budding creative economy, building a new shared commonwealth legacy and shaping the future of the African youth.
The bid reflects the core values of Commonwealth Sport: More in Common, Equality, Humanity, and Destiny. The Abuja 2030 Games are designed to bring people together through the power of sport, reaching across gender, disability, culture, ethnicity, age, and background. They will celebrate what binds the Commonwealth together, fostering solidarity while opening pathways for more people to succeed in sport.
The bid also represents equality by offering Africa, for the first time in 100 years, the chance to host the Games. It reflects humanity by promising to transform lives and turn one million dreams into one million skills.
Also, it embodies destiny by positioning the Centennial Games in Nigeria as a defining moment that will shape the next century of the Commonwealth through youth, skills, and inclusive growth.
The delegation included the Bid Coordinator, Mallam Mainasara Ilo; the President of the Nigerian Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Gumel, Minister of Arts and Culture, Hannatu Musawa, Presidential Spokesperson, Hon. Sunday Dare, former Olympian and 2-time Commonwealth gold medalist, Mary Onyali, and current world number one para-badminton player, Eniola Bolaji.
Nigeria’s Abuja 2030 bid is presented as an opportunity to shape the next century of the Commonwealth through humanity, equality, and shared destiny, ensuring that Africa’s youth are an important part of the future.
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday conferred national honours of the Commander of the Order of the Niger posthumously on four late Ogoni leaders.
They are Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage, popularly remembered as the Ogoni Four.
Tinubu announced the conferment when he received the report of the Ogoni Consultations Committee at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.
He urged the people of Ogoniland to embrace reconciliation and unity after decades of division.
“May their memories continue to inspire unity, courage and purpose among us.
“I urge the Ogoni people across classes, communities and generations to close ranks, put this dark chapter behind us and move forward as a united community with one voice,” Tinubu said.
Wednesday’s meeting comes 16 months after the President, in May 2024, promised to “pursue diligently and honourably” the Ogoni cleanup and increase the number of its indigenes benefitting from its empowerment programmes.
Tinubu also pledged his commitment to unlocking the human and natural resource potential of Ogoniland while ensuring the environmental and economic security of Nigerian communities.
At the meeting, the President assured stakeholders that his administration would support the journey of Ogoniland towards peace, environmental remediation, and economic revival, while also facilitating the return of oil exploration to the area.
He stated, “I am encouraged by the overwhelming consensus of the Ogoni communities to welcome the resumption of oil production.
“The government will deploy every resource to support your people in this march towards shared prosperity.”
Tinubu cited developments in 2022 when the Buhari administration transferred the operations of the Ogoni oil field to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and its joint venture partners.
He argued that his government would honour and build on Buhari’s decision.
In his closing remarks, Tinubu called on the people to seize the moment, saying, “Let us together turn pain into purpose, conflict into cooperation, and transform the wealth beneath Ogoni soil into a blessing for the people and for Nigeria.”
Consequently, he directed the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to commence engagement between the Ogoni people, NNPCL, its partners, and all relevant stakeholders to finalise modalities for restarting operations.
“A dead asset is not valuable to the community, the country or the people.
“The longer we procrastinate, the worse it is for everyone,” the President said.
He also directed the Minister of Environment to integrate pollution remediation and environmental recovery into the broader framework of dialogue with the people.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who presented the report, said the consultations included all four Ogoni zones, with input from local communities, traditional leaders, and the diaspora.
Ribadu said, “In all aspects of our national life, Ogoni is one, thirty-something years of very unfortunate history rewrite the wrong now,
“To us was instruction, then we carry out this dialogue, community engagement, talking with the people and getting to understand how to move forward. It has succeeded like what you have seen today.
“He gave directives to all government agencies and institutions and also directly to our office that we must implement everything that have been agreed and we have taken it.”
Ribadu affirmed that his office, alongside all relevant agencies, is committed to restoring peace in Ogoniland.
“We will make sure that we follow his own directives and his instructions.
“We are going to make sure that peace is restored already, it is, and hopefully you will see the benefit of it not just in Ogoni land but the entire Niger Delta and by extension Nigeria,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Dialogue Committee, Prof. Don Baridam, noted that the committee ensured all stakeholders were carried along in the process, noting that the report reflects the collective will of the Ogoni people.
Baridam said the report captured the people’s demands for structured participation in oil production, renewed environmental cleanup, and a framework for sustainable development.
Oil was first commercially discovered in Oloibiri, Ogoniland, in 1958. However, exploration stopped in 1993 following sustained protests against environmental degradation and injustice.
The Ogoni Four refers to four traditional chiefs from the Ogoni community in Rivers State who were murdered on May 21, 1994, in the village of Giokoo.
The killings took place against the backdrop of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People campaign, led by writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, which had been mobilising the Ogoni against oil companies, particularly Shell, and the Nigerian state.
The subsequent struggles of Ogoni leaders to protect their environment from harmful oil exploration were met with severe repression, culminating in the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa and nine other leaders by the Abacha regime in 1995.
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Tinubu Holds Closed-door Meeting with Rivers Ex-administrator Ibas, EFCC Chair, Fin Minister
President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday evening, summoned the immediate past Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Ibas, who arrived at the State House at about 5:50 pm dressed in brown native attire, was accompanied to the meeting by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede.
Earlier, Edun had been sighted entering the villa briefly before leaving, only to return later carrying a file, underscoring the gravity of the engagement with the President.
Vice Admiral Ibas ceased to function as administrator of the oil-rich State on September 17, following the termination of the six-month emergency rule imposed in March.
President Tinubu had directed the reinstatement of the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the previous Thursday.
During its first sitting after the end of emergency rule, the Rivers State House of Assembly, presided over by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, resolved to investigate the management of State funds under Ibas’ tenure.
Lawmakers specifically resolved “to explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule about spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditures.”
Ibas, however, has publicly rejected the decision to probe the State’s expenditure during his six months in office.
Official records show that Rivers State received at least N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025, covering the period Ibas served as sole administrator.
Details of the closed-door meeting were yet to be made public as of press time.
