Alleged Corruption: Group cautions EFCC against becoming political witch-hunts tool in Nigeria

Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA, cautioned the EFCC in a statement on May 11, 2025, while condemning what it termed the latest allegations leveled against the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle.

He described the petition as an alleged politically motivated campaign against him.

Multiple reports earlier stated that some protesters from the All Progressives Congress Young Leaders Alliance approached the agency’s headquarters in Abuja to submit their petition against Matawalle.

They questioned why the EFCC was allegedly foot-dragging in commencing a thorough probe into the allegation of financial corruption against the former governor of Zamfara State.

“Many petitions were submitted at the headquarters of the commission, notable ones submitted by the APC Akida Forum on May 3rd, 2024, and a follow-up petition on September 30th, 2024, urging the commission to proceed with its investigation of the former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mohammed Matawalle. 

“We have witnessed the commission launch an investigation into the alleged corruption of former Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. Last year, the commission arrested former Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State over alleged corruption. If all these former governors and ministers were not above the law and the EFCC, who would shield the former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, from investigation? He is not a governor now. Who is stopping EFCC from doing its work?” the leader of the protesters and convener of the group, Mohammed Ireji, stated. 

“We must caution the EFCC not to allow itself to be used to settle political scores or to undermine loyal public servants who are actively contributing to national stability. 

“These petitions are not new; they have been regurgitated with fanfare to serve sinister objectives. We urge the Commission to act only within the limits of verifiable evidence and due process,” the statement partly reads. 

“We strongly oppose selective justice and trial by media. Nigeria’s democracy must be anchored on the rule of law and due process, not on orchestrated mob actions disguised as civil protests,” Onwubiko concluded. 

The EFCC is one of Nigeria’s frontline anti-graft agencies.

In October 2024, the Commission disclosed that it had recovered N248 billion, $105.4 million, and other foreign currencies between October 18, 2023, and October 18, 2024, from suspects in the private and public sectors.