Ex-lawmaker urges EFCC to reopen Atiku’s alleged financial crimes case

A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, has approached the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to demand a renewed investigation and possible prosecution of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over alleged financial crimes dating back to 2006.

Agbonayinma said the commission had acknowledged his petition, submitted on August 27, 2026, and received on September 1. The petition was filed through his lawyer, Chief Hannibal Egbe Uwaifo, SAN.

He later visited the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, to formally affirm the petition and answer questions from the commission’s investigators.

The former lawmaker urged the anti-graft agency to revisit its previous findings on the allegations, alongside a report published by a United States Senate subcommittee in 2010.

Speaking after his appearance, Agbonayinma maintained that the matter required further action, arguing that public officials should be subject to the same laws as other citizens.

He said, “The laws are meant for both the rich and the poor,” adding that the outcome of the EFCC’s earlier investigation should not be concealed.

The petition specifically asked the commission to review its September 2006 report on Atiku and the February 4, 2010, report of the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Agbonayinma further 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. He claimed, however, that the anticipated prosecution did not take place.

Describing the alleged inaction as a failure to discharge its responsibilities, the former lawmaker called on the commission to reconsider the matter and determine what further steps should be taken.

Agbonayinma said renewed attention to the case would reinforce the principle that political influence should not shield anyone from accountability under the law.

He also revealed that he had submitted a petition to United States President Donald Trump concerning the allegations.