The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been asked to revisit allegations of financial crimes involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, nearly 20 years after an earlier investigation, following a fresh petition by former House of Representatives member, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma.
Agbonayinma appeared at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, where he adopted the petition and answered questions from investigators, urging the anti-graft agency to revisit its previous findings and take appropriate action on the allegations.
The petition, dated August 27, 2026, and received by the commission on September 1, was filed through his lawyer, Chief Hannibal Egbe Uwaifo, SAN. It asks the EFCC to reactivate its September 2006 investigation report on Atiku, conducted under former chairman Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and consider a subsequent report by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations dated February 4, 2010.
Speaking on the development, Agbonayinma said the EFCC had acknowledged his petition, expressing hope that the matter would no longer remain unresolved.
“I want to thank Nigerians, the EFCC, and those praying for me in this struggle. The laws are meant for both the rich and the poor. After the EFCC has done a fantastic job, it should not be kept under the table,” he said.
In the petition, the former lawmaker alleged that the EFCC had previously indicated that Atiku could face prosecution after leaving office as vice-president, when his constitutional immunity ceased to apply, but that no prosecution followed.
Agbonayinma described the alleged failure to act as a dereliction of duty, arguing that revisiting the case would demonstrate the commission’s commitment to accountability and the equal application of the law, irrespective of political status.
He urged the EFCC to examine its earlier report alongside the findings contained in the 2010 US Senate subcommittee report as part of efforts to determine the appropriate course of action.
The former lawmaker also disclosed that he had petitioned US President Donald Trump over the allegations, seeking renewed attention to the issues raised in the earlier investigations.
The petition has brought the long-running allegations back into focus, but the claims against Atiku remain allegations and do not, in themselves, establish criminal wrongdoing.
As of the time of filing this report, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale had yet to respond to messages seeking clarification on the status of the investigation. The commission had not publicly confirmed whether it had formally reopened the probe.
