Bauchi Govt Accuses EFCC of Political Persecution Over Arrest of Officials

 

The Bauchi State Government has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of engaging in a politically motivated witch-hunt following the arrest, detention and prosecution of senior officials of the state.

The allegation is contained in a petition dated December 31, 2025, written by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and addressed to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

In the petition, the state government accused the EFCC of abusing its prosecutorial powers and weaponising federal law-enforcement agencies to intimidate the Bauchi State Government and unlawfully drag Governor Bala Mohammed into criminal proceedings without evidence or jurisdiction.

The petition, marked “secret,” urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to urgently intervene and restrain what it described as an escalating abuse of prosecutorial powers by the anti-graft agency. The state warned that the EFCC’s actions now pose a threat to constitutional order, democratic stability and public safety in Bauchi State.

According to the petition, officials arrested by the EFCC included the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development and senior civil servants over actions carried out strictly in the discharge of their official duties, with valid financial approvals and in line with established regulations.

The state government claimed that despite full cooperation with investigators, the officials were detained beyond constitutionally permissible timelines on matters it described as administrative and bailable.

It further alleged that when the matter came before the Federal High Court, the presiding judge expressed dissatisfaction with the EFCC’s conduct, particularly over prolonged detention without formal charges, disregard for bail principles and repeated failure to produce the defendants in court despite several adjournments.

The Bauchi Government also accused the EFCC of escalating the matter by introducing fresh allegations of terrorism financing and money laundering—charges it said were not part of the original arrest and detention.

“No terrorist organisation has been identified, no terrorist act linked, and no evidentiary trail disclosed,” the petition stated, adding that the timing of the allegations suggested an afterthought aimed at intimidation, public scandal and reputational damage rather than the pursuit of justice.

The petition further accused the EFCC of making false claims in its charge sheet, including alleging that the Accountant-General of Bauchi State was at large. The state described this claim as a misrepresentation, insisting that the Accountant-General honoured EFCC invitations, was detained and later released on bail after meeting all conditions.

The government also condemned the repeated mention of Governor Bala Mohammed’s name in the charge sheet, despite him not being an accused person, describing it as an attempt to try the governor in the court of public opinion, criminalise political opposition by insinuation and violate his constitutional immunity.

It described the terrorism-financing allegation against the governor as a “bogus hatchet job” designed to politically destroy his image.

The petition highlighted Governor Mohammed’s public service record, noting that he had served as a civil servant to the rank of Director, Senator, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and now Governor of Bauchi State without any criminal conviction or abuse of constitutional immunity.

The state government also raised concerns that the EFCC’s actions were increasingly perceived as threats to the safety and wellbeing of the governor, his aides and family, citing the manner of arrests, escalation of allegations and sustained public insinuations.

“This trajectory is dangerous and unacceptable in a constitutional democracy,” the petition warned.

The Bauchi Government therefore demanded immediate federal intervention, including strict supervision of the EFCC, restraint from retaliatory and media-driven prosecutions, assurances that terrorism allegations would not be pursued without credible evidence and measures to prevent actions capable of inflaming political tensions or endangering lives.

It cautioned that selective justice and prosecutorial recklessness undermine public confidence, weaken institutions and threaten national cohesion.

“Nigeria must not drift towards a system where opposition is criminalised and dissent punished through intimidation,” the petition concluded.

Recall that Governor Bala Mohammed recently accused the Federal Government of using the EFCC to persecute him and officials of his administration over his refusal to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor made the allegation while receiving an Ambassadorial Award for Safety from the Institute of Safety Professionals in Nigeria at the Government House in Bauchi, describing the detention of one of his commissioners as politically motivated.

“This is not about fighting corruption; it is about political coercion,” Mohammed said.