Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has issued a scathing rebuke of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the arrest and continued detention of former federal lawmaker Muhammad Kazaure, accusing the anti-graft agency of operating with impunity and targeting government critics.
In a strongly worded statement shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Atiku condemned what he described as the EFCC’s “brazen disregard for due process,” warning that Kazaure’s detention follows a worrying pattern of politically motivated arrests.
“The EFCC has once again plunged into its well-worn pattern of lawlessness—arresting and detaining citizens without due process or legal justification,” Atiku wrote, calling the agency’s conduct emblematic of an “increasingly authoritarian” tilt under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Kazaure, who represented Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi Federal Constituency in Jigawa State, was reportedly arrested in Kano and transported to Abuja. He is said to be held incommunicado, with neither his legal counsel nor family informed of any formal charges.
Atiku compared the case to the recent arrest of social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, who was released only after public outcry and widespread media attention.
“Even if an arrest were legal, the Nigerian Constitution demands strict adherence to due process,” Atiku said. “Detaining a citizen indefinitely without charge is not only unlawful—it is undemocratic.”
The former presidential candidate didn’t mince words, suggesting that Kazaure’s outspoken criticism of the Tinubu government may have made him a political target.
“This government’s hypocrisy is staggering,” Atiku wrote. “While shielding allies facing corruption allegations, it deploys the full force of the state against dissenters.”
He called on the EFCC to either publicly state the grounds for Kazaure’s detention or release him without delay, warning that Nigeria’s democracy cannot thrive under what he described as a “culture of intimidation and lawless governance.”
