The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained former Sokoto State governor and serving senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, over alleged cash withdrawals totalling ₦189 billion during his eight years as governor.
Tambuwal, who currently represents Sokoto South in the Senate, arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja around 11:30 a.m. on Monday and was immediately taken in for questioning. The alleged offences are said to violate provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
According to sources familiar with the probe, the investigation centres on suspicious withdrawals from Sokoto State government accounts between 2015 and 2023, allegedly channelled to private individuals and political allies.
Tambuwal, 59, is a lawyer and career politician who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015 before becoming governor for two terms. His tenure has been marked by both notable political milestones and controversies. In 2017, the EFCC publicly criticised his decision to grant state pardons to individuals, including former officials, facing trial for alleged involvement in a ₦15 billion fraud linked to the administration of his predecessor, Attahiru Bafarawa.
The commission argued that a state governor had no power to halt ongoing federal prosecutions.Reports suggest the ₦189 billion diversion case has been under EFCC investigation since April 2022, with several political figures and contractors allegedly implicated.
Monday’s detention marks Tambuwal’s most serious legal challenge yet, as he remains a key figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and an influential voice in national politics.
If formal charges are filed, the case could become one of Nigeria’s most high-profile corruption trials in recent years, testing the country’s anti-graft laws and the resolve to hold powerful politicians accountable.
