{"id":8291,"date":"2025-08-13T19:09:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T19:09:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/?p=8291"},"modified":"2025-08-13T19:09:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T19:09:37","slug":"tambuwal-released-atiku-adc-condemn-arrest-say-efcc-now-political-tool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/2025\/08\/13\/tambuwal-released-atiku-adc-condemn-arrest-say-efcc-now-political-tool\/","title":{"rendered":"Tambuwal Released; Atiku, ADC Condemn Arrest, Say EFCC Now Political Tool"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has granted bail to former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, after questioning him over alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals totalling N189bn.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Tambuwal\u00a0was interrogated by investigators and subsequently detained at the commission\u2019s corporate headquarters.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

According to EFCC sources, the withdrawals are suspected to contravene the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of weaponising anti-corruption agencies to pressure opposition leaders into defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The remarks come amid the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission\u2019s (EFCC) detention of former Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal over alleged fraudulent withdrawals totalling about N189 billion.<\/p>\n

In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page yesterday, Atiku argued that the EFCC has been transformed into a political tool. He suggested Tambuwal\u2019s detention is driven by his participation in the coalition that aims to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only reason the EFCC has detained the former governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, is because he is a member of the opposition coalition. It is a continuation of the Tinubu-led administration\u2019s agenda to harass, intimidate and decimate the opposition,\u201d Atiku said.<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cThe reality unfolding before us today is that the Tinubu administration, as with other aspects, has objectified the fight against corruption as a political tool to coerce opposition leaders into the ruling party. We are witnessing a growing trend where the state and its operators have assumed the role of a bully by making corruption and the fight against it a political agenda. Certainly, that is not the objective for which I worked hard during our administration to create the EFCC.\u201d<\/p>\n

Atiku stressed that fighting corruption requires broad-based support, and using it as a political weapon should be condemned by civil society and Nigeria\u2019s international partners.<\/p>\n

ADC\u2019s take and EFCC response<\/p>\n

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) also weighed in on Tambuwal\u2019s detention, warning against the politicisation of the EFCC\u2019s work and accusing the agency of conducting media trials designed to harass opposition leaders on behalf of the APC.<\/p>\n

In a statement by National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC criticised the \u201curgent\u201d probes into the seven-month tenure of former Imo State governor Emeka Ihedioha. The party described these moves as a calculated effort to discredit opposition figures ahead of the 2027 elections, arguing that \u201ca fight against corruption that targets only the opposition is not justice; it is persecution.\u201d<\/p>\n

ADC questioned the timing of the investigations, noting that Tambuwal, Ihedioha, and ADC chairman David Mark left office years ago. It asked why APC members with more recent, well-documented corruption cases appeared untouchable and why EFCC files on those individuals were left gathering dust.<\/p>\n

EFCC\u2019s response<\/p>\n

In response to ADC\u2019s allegations, EFCC stated that it is non-partisan and applies the law equally, regardless of political affiliation. Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity, emphasized that investigations are guided by evidence, not politics, and that \u201cfraud is fraud, corruption is corruption. There is no sacred cow, protected interest or partisan consideration in the investigation and prosecution of corruption.\u201d EFCC dismissed ADC\u2019s claims as self-serving and diversionary, reiterating that every corruption allegation deserves scrutiny, with no time constraints on criminal investigations.<\/p>\n

The EFCC also noted that it is currently examining several senior figures from the APC, including sitting governors and ministers.<\/p>\n

Commentary and context<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The controversy highlights a broader debate about the independence of anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria and their role in political contests.<\/li>\n
  • Critics argue that anti-graft bodies can be weaponised to sideline political opponents, while supporters maintain that investigations proceed on evidence, irrespective of party affiliation.<\/li>\n
  • As the 2027 elections approach, scrutiny of EFCC activity and the timing of investigations is likely to intensify, with opposition parties demanding transparency and fairness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has granted bail to former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, after questioning him over alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals totalling N189bn. Tambuwal\u00a0was interrogated by investigators and subsequently detained...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8291"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8294,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8291\/revisions\/8294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}