Atiku slams EFCC over ‘illegal detention’ of ex-Rep Kazaure

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the arrest and continued detention of former lawmaker, Hon. Muhammad Kazaure, describing the agency’s actions as unconstitutional and politically motivated.

In a statement posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Atiku accused the EFCC of operating with “brazen disregard for due process,” and targeting critics of the Bola Tinubu administration in a bid to silence dissent.

Hon. Kazaure, a former member of the House of Representatives and vocal critic of the current government, was reportedly arrested in Kano and transferred to Abuja.

According to Atiku, he is being held “incommunicado,” with no formal charges disclosed to his family, lawyers, or the public.

“This arrest follows the same abuse of power witnessed in the recent unlawful detention of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, who was released only after widespread public outrage,” Atiku said.

The former vice president stressed that even if there were legitimate grounds for Kazaure’s arrest, the EFCC is obligated by law to inform the public and charge him to court without delay.

“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is unequivocal on this matter — every detainee must be promptly charged to court or released,” he said.

Atiku further alleged that the arrest was politically motivated, claiming that Kazaure’s ordeal was “a direct consequence of his fearless and unrelenting criticism of this administration.”

He also accused the government of hypocrisy in its anti-corruption fight, saying, “While it strikes cosy deals with politically connected figures tainted by corruption, it unleashes the machinery of the state to harass and silence its critics.”

Calling out the EFCC’s silence on the matter, Atiku said the agency was “entrenching itself deeper into the mire of impunity and constitutional delinquency,” and urged Nigerians to remain vigilant.

“The Nigerian people are watching. And history will not forget,” he concluded.

The EFCC has yet to issue a formal response to the allegations surrounding Hon. Kazaure’s arrest.

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