Tambuwal’s EFCC Arrest Sparks Northern Reactions: Corruption Fight ‘Selective

The arrest of former Sokoto State governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has prompted prominent Northern Nigerian voices to respond, characterizing it as a situation that may have significant political ramifications.

The arrest, according to some northern leaders, raises questions about political witch-hunting, while others maintain that the law must be applied regardless of status.

Remember how Aminu Tambuwal was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday to be questioned over alleged ₦189 billion in illicit cash withdrawals?

When Tambuwal, a two-term governor of Sokoto State and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, arrived at the EFCC offices in Abuja at around 11 a.m. on Monday, he was arrested and questioned by detectives.

Investigators claim that he made large cash withdrawals while serving as governor, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The arrest has been denounced by numerous people and organizations. It was characterized as politically motivated by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi criticized the arrest, arguing that Nigeria’s fight against corruption must be transparent and equitable. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused the Tinubu administration of employing the EFCC to harass and intimidate the opposition. The action was also criticized by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), which described it as a partisan ploy that erodes public confidence.

The EFCC asserted, however, that it has a nonpartisan mandate and has performed its tasks with caution and objectivity. Regardless of whether the suspects belong to the opposition or the ruling party, it emphasized that the law is working its course.

In an exclusive interview, Northern activist and pundit Mahdi Shehu accused the anti-graft agency of political prejudice and characterized the arrest of former Sokoto State governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as proof that the EFCC was dancing nude.

“If it’s not political, why arrest him now when the EFCC is protecting over 43% of National Assembly members facing fraud charges, Godswill Akpabio, Bello Matawalle, Aliyu Wamakko, and some serving ministers who are facing criminal trials?”

He claimed that while the agency protects people who are in the APC or intend to join it, it primarily targets lawmakers from other parties.

Shehu cited a number of well-known corruption cases in which the EFCC reportedly turned a blind eye.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) was unable to account for ₦210 trillion between 2017 and 2023, according to the Senate Public Accounts Committee, he cited.

Since NNPCL is a no-go region, the EFCC faked and entered Siesta in this instance. “The senior petroleum minister is always the president,” Shehu stated.

He also brought up the $7 billion (₦10.4 trillion) that was missing and the payments of “fraudulent millions per month” to consultants at the Central Bank of Nigeria for the turnaround maintenance of the refineries in Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt.

He claimed, “Because those involved have powerful backers in the kitchen, the EFCC put cotton wool in both ears.”

Shehu also asked why Bayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, has not been looked into by the EFCC after he recently showed off a multibillion-naira home on the internet.

He was barely making ends meet before to Tinubu’s appointment. He has since constructed what is known as Government House No. 2. However, he declared, “EFCC will never have the guts, courage, audacity, or liver to touch him.”

He accused the EFCC of operating a convenient system where certain Nigerians are more Nigerian than others, similar to Animal Farm, and warned that the day will soon come when the hunter will become the prey.

In an interview, former Kano House of Assembly candidate Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada also called Tambuwal’s EFCC detention “very unfortunate” and “purely political.”

In his battle against corruption, he charged that the anti-graft agency had abandoned impartiality and equity.

He claims that while opposition politicians are hounded and intimidated, “many members of the APC also face corruption allegations but are never invited for questioning.”

Adnan thinks the action is related to Tambuwal’s recent criticism of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, adding that the EFCC’s efforts to combat corruption are selective and devoid of integrity and transparency.

Public affairs attorney Rabiu Musa, meantime, stated that people should be truthful and concentrate on the alleged crime when it comes to legal violations, regardless of their political affiliation.

Was there anything Tambuwal did that led to his arrest? “People should see past politics,” he stated in an interview.