Former Sokoto State governor and serving senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has regained his freedom after spending about 28 hours in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a development that has ignited fierce political controversy.
Tambuwal, who honoured an EFCC summons at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, August 11, was questioned over alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals amounting to N189 billion during his tenure as Sokoto governor from 2015 to 2023.
EFCC insiders say the investigation is probing possible breaches of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Upon arrival at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and a close ally of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, was interrogated before being held overnight. Details of his bail conditions were yet to be disclosed at press time.
The detention drew swift condemnation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of using the EFCC to stifle opposition voices.
“This is nothing short of a political witch-hunt aimed at silencing key opposition figures and steering Nigeria towards a one-party state,” the parties said in a joint statement, vowing to resist what they described as the “politicisation of anti-corruption agencies.”
Tambuwal’s arrest has further heightened tensions between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties, with critics warning that the use of law enforcement and anti-graft bodies against political opponents threatens Nigeria’s democratic foundations.
