EFCC Releases Tambuwal After Detention Over Alleged ₦189bn Fraud
By IDNN Politics Desk
ABUJA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal after holding him overnight in connection with alleged ₦189 billion in fraudulent cash withdrawals — a detention now at the centre of the Tambuwal EFCC detention political storm.
Tambuwal, representing Sokoto South, arrived at EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Monday for questioning over cash transactions allegedly made during his 2015–2023 tenure as governor. Investigators claim the withdrawals breached the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and formed part of a years-long probe into state finances.
A leaked 2021 EFCC intelligence report — first revealed by Sahara Reporters — alleged that more than ₦189 billion was diverted between January 2015 and August 2021 through accounts linked to the Accountant General, Secretary to the State Government, and Permanent Secretary Government House.
The EFCC has not yet issued an official statement on the release.
Opposition figures moved quickly to frame the detention as politically driven. Former Vice President and PDP 2023 candidate Atiku Abubakar accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of “weaponising” anti-corruption agencies to pressure opponents into joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The only reason the EFCC has detained Senator Tambuwal is because he is a member of the opposition coalition,” Atiku posted on X.
He alleged that corruption cases are dropped once figures cross over to the APC, warning such tactics undermine institutions and embolden wrongdoing.
Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, defected from the APC to the PDP before the 2019 elections and has since emerged as a central figure in the opposition’s 2027 strategy.
The episode has sharpened debate over the EFCC’s credibility, with critics insisting that its legitimacy depends on even-handed enforcement — free from the shadow of political influence.
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