Former Sokoto State Governor and current Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal spent last night in EFCC custody after honouring an invitation over what investigators describe as the “suspicious” diversion of N189 billion during his tenure.
According to EFCC documents, the cash was allegedly withdrawn in bits over six years from three key state accounts — the FAAC account, Government House account, and the Secretary to the State Government account — between 2015 and 2021.
🔍 EFCC Findings:
• Total inflow into the accounts in the period: ₦567.16 billion
• Allegedly diverted: ₦189.15 billion
• Beneficiaries said to include government officials, cashiers, private companies, and agencies
• Suspected violations of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022
Sources say five other suspects — including cashiers and government officials — may testify against Tambuwal or be charged alongside him. Investigators are also eyeing payouts to Nagarta Microfinance Bank and Bilya Micro System.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale declined comment, but insiders say profiling of other Sokoto government accounts may follow.
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ADC Cries Foul: “Political Witch-Hunt”
Tambuwal’s new party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is firing back — accusing the EFCC of acting like a “political hit squad” for the ruling APC.
ADC Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi alleged that the EFCC has been reopening old cases to intimidate opposition leaders, while quietly dropping probes into APC allies:
“In today’s Nigeria, guilt or innocence seems to depend on party membership, not evidence.”
The party warned that selective prosecution is eroding public trust in the anti-graft fight and called on Nigerians to resist “the dangerous slide into dictatorship.”
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This latest detention comes just months after Tambuwal’s defection from the PDP to the ADC, a move political watchers say may have made him a bigger target.
With the EFCC keeping him overnight and questioning set to continue, all eyes are now on whether this probe will lead to a high-profile trial — or become another politically charged fight in Nigeria’s long-running corruption wars.