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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.
The Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup dream suffered a major blow on Sunday as DR Congo advanced to the intercontinental playoff following a dramatic penalty shootout at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying ended in heartbreaking fashion, marking the second consecutive year the Super Eagles will miss out on the world stage.
The match ended 1–1 after 120 minutes of regulation and extra time, sending the high-stakes encounter to penalties.
Nigeria initially went ahead through Frank Onyeka in the third minute, but DR Congo equalised in the 32nd minute through M. Elia.
The tension continued into the penalty shootout.
Nigeria’s Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon missed early chances, while Nwabali denied DR Congo’s first penalty.
Akor Adams kept the Super Eagles alive, but DR Congo struck back through Sadique and later scored the decisive fourth penalty, leaving Nigeria trailing 4–3 in the shootout.
The victory sets up DR Congo for a chance to secure one of the final World Cup tickets to the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Nigeria’s defeat marked the second consecutive year the Super Eagles will miss out on the world stage.
Both teams had earned their places in the final after dramatic semi-finals.
Nigeria had booked their place in the final with a dramatic 4–1 extra-time win over Gabon in Thursday’s semi-final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
DR Congo also advanced with a 1–0 victory over Cameroon at the Al Barid Stadium the same evening.
The Leopards now await their intercontinental playoff opponent, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup, while the Super Eagles’ campaign comes to an agonising end in Rabat.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, its suspended National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose.
Their expulsion was announced on Saturday at the party’s National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has insisted that there is Christian genocide ongoing in Nigeria, hence demanding end to the alleged Christian killings.
Speaking on Thursday after an emergency executive meeting of the Fellowship held at its national headquarters in Lagos, PFN President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, said the body would no longer remain silent while Christians are “targeted, killed, raped, and displaced” across the country.
He said: “There is Christian genocide going on in Nigeria. If we call it by any other name, it will bring Nigeria down. We are crying out to our international friends, beginning with America and Donald Trump. Whatever you can do to help our government put an end to it, come quickly and get it done. When on Christmas Day, Christmas Day was turned a bloody day in Benue State, and hundreds were massacred. And we are to be conducting mass funerals when we are not in open conflict. What do you call that? And this is different from individual cases.
“Let us call a spade a spade. There is Christian genocide ongoing in Nigeria,”Bishop Oke declared.
“Even while we speak, killings are still taking place in Borno, Plateau, and Benue states. When 501 Christians were massacred in Dogon Noma in Plateau, what do we call that? When Christmas Day turned into a bloody day in Benue, with hundreds massacred, what name should we give it?
While noting that the United States President Donald Trump spoke the truth, the PRN President cited the case of Leah Sharibu who was abducted alongside other Chibok girls and has since remained in captivity.
“Like the case of Leah Sharibu. Where is Leah Sharibu? Like the case of Deborah that was lynched and burned alive in Sokoto? What about that? And several of our girls were kidnapped and forced, given out as wives by force without the consent of their parents and their Christian parents. And the Christian parents would not see them for years.And this has been going on. We have been talking and we are not taking it seriously. And it has been going on again and again, until Donald Trump now spoke. And Donald Trump spoke the truth. There is Christian genocide going on in Nigeria.
“Like you will have picked in the news, even since this narrative began, killing was still going on in Borno, in Plateau, in Benue, up until yesterday. What are we saying? When 501 Christians were massacred in Dogonaya in Plateau State, what do we call that? And for no offense other than they are Christians.”
Oke recalled that the Christian community had repeatedly called the attention of the government to the alleged genocide with no decisive action from the authority.
The cleric expressed his backing for President Trump’s intervention, adding that Trump only echoed what Nigerian Christians had been saying for year
“I was part of the team that went to see the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari. We spoke very strongly about this and the President listened to us, but he completely ignored the main issue we came for, If we came and spoke with such vehemence, with such passion, and then you pick the peripheral matter and left this matter alone, I knew that day that his government was complicit in what was going on,” he added.
Oke alleged that the killings across parts of Nigeria were systematic and targeted on Christians, lamenting that the killings had continued unchecked despite repeated appeals from the Church.
“The evidence is all over the place. There is nothing anybody can say that can whitewash it. It is evil, it is blood shedding, it is mass murder and it is genocide. The time to stop it is now. That is what the church in Nigeria is saying with one voice.
“Christians in this nation must be free to practice their faith in any part of Nigeria as bona fide citizens of Nigeria.
“These armed bandits, Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, ISWAP, all of them using Islam as a cover. We have been living in peace with our Muslim brothers for a long, until this violent Islamic sect came up with an intent to make sure they impose Sharia on all Nigerians,” Oke said.
Bishop Oke called on President Bola Tinubu to decisively overhaul the nation’s security architecture, and ensure justice for victims of religious violence. He questioned why those responsible for notorious attacks—such as the killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto and the abduction of Leah Sharibu and the Chibok schoolgirls—remain unpunished.
“The government should prove by action, not words, that it is not complicit,” he said. “When hundreds are buried in mass graves and the whole world sees it, who can deny it? Why should we play politics with the blood of Nigerians?”
The PFN urged President Tinubu’s administration to rebuild trust by ensuring that the security architecture of the country is not infiltrated by those sympathetic to extremist ideologies.
Oke further condemned the government’s rehabilitation of so-called “repentant terrorists,” describing the move as a grave security.
He assured Christians that the PFN would continue to speak out until the killings stop. “We are not going to keep quiet. We will keep raising our voices until justice is done and every Nigerian, regardless of faith, can live in peace. The truth may be suppressed for a time, but it cannot be buried forever,” he said.
The meeting, which drew PFN leaders from across the country, reaffirmed the body’s commitment to national unity, peace, and the protection of fundamental human rights, while urging the media to “side with the oppressed” and report the truth without fear or bias.
