EFCC receives fresh petition seeking Atiku’s prosecution over alleged financial crimes
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has received a fresh petition seeking the prosecution of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over alleged financial crimes linked to allegations dating back to 2006.
The petition was filed by a former member of the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, who urged the anti-graft agency to revisit its earlier investigation and consider a subsequent report by a United States Senate subcommittee.
Agbonayinma said the EFCC acknowledged his petition.
The petition was submitted through his lawyer, Chief Hannibal Egbe Uwaifo, SAN.
The former lawmaker visited the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, where he formally adopted the petition and responded to questions from investigators.
Speaking on the development, Agbonayinma said the matter should not remain unresolved, insisting that the law should apply equally to all Nigerians, regardless of their social or political status.
He urged the commission to make its findings public and take appropriate action, saying previous investigative work should not be left without further consideration.
In the petition, Agbonayinma asked the EFCC to revisit its September 2006 report on Atiku and a February 4, 2010, report by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
He argued that the two reports should provide a basis for renewed scrutiny of the allegations and any further action considered appropriate by the commission.
The petition also alleged that the EFCC had previously indicated that Atiku could be prosecuted after leaving office as vice-president, when his constitutional immunity no longer applied. However, Agbonayinma claimed that no prosecution subsequently followed.
The former lawmaker described the alleged failure to pursue the matter as a dereliction of duty and said reopening the case would demonstrate the commission’s commitment to accountability, including for politically influential individuals.
He also disclosed that he had petitioned United States President Donald Trump over the allegations.
As of the time of filing this report, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale had yet to respond to messages seeking clarification on the status of the investigation.
The allegations contained in the petition have not, in this report, been independently established, and the filing of a petition does not itself establish criminal wrongdoing.
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