By Hassan Agboola
The Advocacy for Human Rights and Cultural Values for Development Initiatives has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a prompt, impartial and transparent investigation into a petition alleging fraud, obtaining by false pretence, criminal misappropriation and conversion involving $2.1 million against former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The group made the call in a letter dated October 5, 2026, addressed to the Executive Chairman of the EFCC and signed by its Executive Director, Sambo Jibril.
Jibril said the organisation was concerned about the reported petition submitted by one Safwan Garba against Wike, alleging offences involving the sum of $2.1 million.
According to him, the petition was reportedly submitted to the EFCC in or around December 2025, following which the complainant was invited by the commission and made a written statement on the allegations.
He, however, expressed concern that several months after the petition was submitted, the EFCC had allegedly not invited the person against whom the allegations were made or communicated any clear outcome of its preliminary assessment of the petition.
Jibril stressed that the filing of a petition did not establish the commission of any criminal offence, adding that anyone accused of wrongdoing was entitled to the presumption of innocence.
He, however, argued that the principle of fairness required that petitions alleging serious economic and financial crimes should either be investigated objectively or, where no basis for investigation was found, appropriately disposed of in accordance with the law.
“The EFCC, as an institution entrusted with the investigation and prosecution of economic and financial crimes, occupies a position of enormous public trust,” he said.
He added that the commission’s credibility depended not only on the number of people investigated or prosecuted but also on “the fairness, consistency, independence and impartiality” with which it exercised its statutory powers.
‘Law must apply equally to all’
The organisation said its principal concern was not to determine the guilt or innocence of Wike, stressing that such determination was exclusively for a competent court of law.
Rather, Jibril said the organisation wanted to know whether the EFCC was applying the same investigative standards to all persons, irrespective of their political status, public office, wealth, influence or connections.
He said if a citizen submitted a petition alleging that another person had committed serious economic and financial offences involving millions of dollars, the appropriate response should ordinarily be an objective assessment of the allegations and, where a prima facie basis existed, a prompt and professional investigation.
Conversely, he said, where allegations were found to be unsupported, frivolous, malicious or outside the commission’s jurisdiction, the complainant should be appropriately informed.
“What should not happen is for a petition to remain indefinitely without a transparent indication that it has been objectively assessed,” he said.
Jibril said such a situation could raise questions about whether the law applied equally to everyone or whether the status or position of an individual determined whether allegations against them received the attention of law enforcement authorities.
He urged the EFCC not to be perceived as an institution whose investigative powers were reserved principally for ordinary citizens while allegations involving politically exposed or influential persons were treated differently.
According to him, such a perception, whether justified or not, could undermine public confidence in the commission.
Group lists demands
The organisation called on the EFCC chairman to review the petition allegedly submitted by Garba in December 2025 and ensure that it was processed in accordance with the commission’s procedures and applicable laws.
It also urged the commission to ascertain the current status of the petition and determine whether a formal investigation had commenced.
Jibril called for a prompt, professional, impartial and comprehensive investigation if the allegations disclosed sufficient grounds, including inviting Wike or any other relevant person to respond to the allegations in accordance with due process.
The group also urged the EFCC to ensure that both the complainant and the person complained against were treated fairly and not subjected to unnecessary media trial or prejudicial publicity.
It further asked the commission to close the matter in accordance with the law if it concluded that the allegations were unsupported by sufficient evidence or did not disclose any offence within its jurisdiction.
The organisation also called for the handling of the petition to be free from the influence of the political status, public position, wealth, influence or connections of anyone involved.
‘Our intervention is institutional’
Jibril said the organisation’s intervention should not be construed as an assertion that the allegations against Wike were true.
He said the allegations remained allegations and that the former minister was entitled to the presumption of innocence.
He also said the intervention was not an attempt to dictate to the EFCC how it should conduct a criminal investigation, describing the concern as “institutional”.
“We believe that justice must be blind to status. The ordinary Nigerian citizen who petitions the EFCC deserves to know that his complaint will be treated according to law.
“At the same time, the person complained against deserves to know that he will not be condemned without investigation and due process,” he said.
Jibril said the EFCC should be able to demonstrate that its investigative decisions were based on evidence, law and established procedure rather than political affiliation, social standing or perceived influence.
He said investigating an ordinary citizen while refusing to meaningfully examine allegations involving a politically exposed person could raise questions of double standards.
He, however, added that investigating a politically exposed person solely because of public pressure would also undermine the independence of the institution.
“The appropriate standard is therefore simple: investigate allegations objectively, regardless of who is involved; protect the rights of the person complained against; and allow evidence and the law to determine the outcome,” he said.
The group urged the EFCC chairman to ensure that the petition received appropriate attention and that its status was determined without further unnecessary delay.
It also requested that, subject to confidentiality requirements applicable to ongoing investigations, the commission provide an appropriate indication of the status of the petition and ensure that any decision reached was based strictly on the evidence and applicable law.