The arrest of former Sokoto governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has split opinion across Northern Nigeria, with many accusing the agency of political bias.
Tambuwal, a two-term governor, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and now Senator, was detained on Monday at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja over alleged cash withdrawals totalling ₦189 billion during his tenure.
While EFCC investigators allege Tambuwal violated the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022, critics argue the arrest reeks of selective justice.
The PDP and ADC branded the move political persecution, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused the Tinubu government of turning the EFCC into an instrument of harassment. Peter Obi also criticised the arrest, insisting Nigeria’s anti-graft war must be impartial.
Northern activist Mahdi Shehu went further, describing the EFCC as “dancing naked” in public. He accused the agency of shielding high-profile politicians such as Godswill Akpabio, Bello Matawalle, and Aliyu Wamakko, while going after opposition figures.
Shehu highlighted corruption scandals ignored by the EFCC, including the missing ₦210 trillion at NNPC, $7 billion for refinery repairs, and questionable CBN consultancy payments. “EFCC only hunts outsiders while protecting APC loyalists,” he said.
Another northern voice, Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada, blasted the arrest as “purely political” and linked it to Tambuwal’s recent criticisms of President Tinubu. He accused the EFCC of “abandoning neutrality.”
Yet, some like Rabiu Musa argued the law should take precedence. “The question should be simple: did Tambuwal commit the offence?” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, the EFCC insists its actions are non-partisan and purely guided by the law.
