The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released former Sokoto State governor and current senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, after detaining him over allegations of ₦189 billion in fraudulent withdrawals. However, his international passport remains in the agency’s custody.
Tambuwal, who served as Sokoto governor from 2015 to 2023, honoured an EFCC invitation on Monday, arriving at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja around 11:30 a.m. He was questioned by investigators over transactions suspected to be in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and was subsequently held overnight.
According to EFCC insiders, the withdrawals in question were made in “flagrant violation” of the law. While an official confirmation of the sum under probe has not been given publicly, sources say it amounts to ₦189 billion.
By Tuesday, Tambuwal was granted bail after meeting what EFCC officials described as “not stringent” conditions. Shortly after his release, viral videos showed him at his Abuja residence, receiving visitors, including former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Uche Secondus.
The arrest has drawn political reactions. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar alleged that Tambuwal’s detention was politically motivated, accusing the Tinubu administration of using the EFCC to pressure opposition politicians into defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, said the case underscored contradictions in Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused the commission of serving as a political tool.
In response, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede defended the agency’s impartiality, stressing that its anti-graft mandate is non-partisan and that both ruling party members and opposition figures are subject to investigation.
“If I am not condemned for investigating both former and serving strong ruling party governors and ministers, I should not be condemned for also investigating opposition figures,” Olukoyede said in a statement by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale.
He added that neither investigations nor trials are bound by time limits, and that the law will take its course regardless of political affiliation.
