The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal for interrogation regarding alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals totalling N189 billion.
An unnamed source within the anti-corruption agency confirmed that the suspected withdrawals breached the Money Laundering (Prevention & Prohibition) Act of 2022. The timing of these alleged withdrawals remains unclear.
The 59-year-old former governor reportedly arrived at EFCC headquarters in Abuja at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Monday and was still undergoing questioning by investigators as of Monday evening. EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale refused to provide a comment on the ongoing investigation.
Tambuwal governed Sokoto State from 2015 to 2023, following his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. Initially a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) member during the party’s 2015 electoral victory, he later defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2019 elections, successfully securing re-election as governor.
At the conclusion of his gubernatorial term in 2023, Tambuwal won a Senate seat representing Sokoto South. He currently serves as a key opposition figure in the ADC coalition, which aims to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The EFCC alleges that the cash withdrawals conducted during Tambuwal’s administration constitute a serious violation of Nigeria’s anti-money laundering legislation.
