By Our Correspondent

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing the agency of abandoning its core mandate and turning the nation’s anti-corruption campaign into a tool for political persecution.

Atiku said the EFCC’s recent activities demonstrate a troubling pattern in which opposition figures are aggressively targeted, while allies of the ruling party appear to receive preferential treatment.

According to Atiku, Nigeria’s once-credible anti-corruption drive has “derailed into a full-blown political witch-hunt,” undermining both public trust and the integrity of institutions created to uphold accountability. He argued that the EFCC now functions as an “overzealous appendage” of those in power, rather than as an impartial guardian of the law.

The former Vice-President referenced recent high-profile arrests, including that of former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami (SAN), as evidence of selective enforcement. He claimed that such moves fit a broader pattern of intimidation aimed at weakening the opposition while shielding individuals aligned with the ruling party from scrutiny.

Atiku warned that the politicization of anti-graft bodies threatens Nigeria’s democratic stability, erodes confidence in justice processes, and damages the country’s international credibility in combating corruption.

He called on the EFCC to re-establish its independence and refocus on its founding principles to ensure that the fight against corruption is fair, transparent, and free from political interference.

Ngige is accused of using his position to confer undue advantage by awarding different contracts to his associates.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed an eight count charge against the former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige.

Channels Television’s judiciary correspondent, Shola Soyele who obtained a copy of the charge reports that the former minister will be arraigned on Friday at the FCT High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja.

In the charge dated Oct 31st and filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sylvanus Tahir and five other lawyers on behalf of the EFCC, the anti-graft agency alleged that Ngige used his position as a former minister to confer undue advantage by awarding different contracts to his associates and different companies believed to be owned by him.

In count 1, the former minister, between September 2015 and May 2023, while being the supervising Minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), used his position to confer an unfair advantage upon Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles is believed to be his associate.

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, has chided the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, describing him as a failed leader.

Amaewhule made the remark on Thursday at a press conference in Port Harcourt while addressing the governor’s recent outbursts.

Fubara, who spoke at an event on Wednesday, claimed that he had made efforts to meet with the lawmakers but was waiting for party leaders to convene the agreed reconciliation meeting.

His comment followed the renewed face-off between him and members of the Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Addressing the governor’s claims, Amaewhule told journalists that there has been a series of meetings with the governor, alleging that the governor is deliberately undermining the Assembly.

He accused the governor of sending attack dogs to insult members of the Assembly on social media and radio stations.

The Speaker said, “At the moment, the governor is failing; he doesn’t want to be a leader. A leader would want to bring people together and make peace.

“The outburst yesterday doesn’t show leadership at all. Disparaging the FCT Minister is not leadership at all. Sending his attack dogs, all those his media thugs, to insult us on social media is not helping the governor.