The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
Tambuwal, who was detained on Monday after honouring the invitation of the EFCC over alleged fraudulent withdrawal of cash to the tune of N189 billion as Sokoto State governor was released on Tuesday.
An EFCC source said Senator Tambuwal was granted administrative bail and would be allowed to leave the commission’s headquarters after perfecting his bail conditions.
Meanwhile, the anti-graft agency has condemned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for allegedly politicising its investigation.
The EFCC, in a statement, described its criticism over Tambuwal’s questioning by the ADC as “self-serving, diversionary, narrow and idle,” noting that the commission has been doing its job without interference.
EFCC, in a statement by its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said the commission’s mandate was being executed without bias.
The statement signed by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, quoted the EFCC chairman as saying that under his watch, the commission had been investigating former ministers and governors in the ruling party and should not be criticised for probing opposition leaders.
“If I am not condemned for investigating both former and serving strong ruling party governors and ministers, I should not be condemned for also investigating opposition figures.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC’s) unprovoked attack on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, concerning its handling of cases involving politically exposed persons from every divide, came as a rude shock and unwarranted blame game.
“Every objective and discerning watcher of events in the national political scene, would admit that the Commission has been circumspect and dispassionate in the exercise of its mandate.
“The ADC’s claims that ‘Opposition Coalition have received EFCC summons that are clearly politically motivated. These are not fresh cases arising from new evidence but new files opened in reaction to emergent political affiliations to intimidate key opposition figures’, are clearly self-serving, diversionary, narrow and idle.
“The question is, what determines ‘fresh cases’ and old cases? Every corruption allegation deserves to be investigated and there is no constraint of time and season in criminal investigations,” Olukoyede said.
