BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 11 December 2025

Source: BBC

List of ex-ministers from last administration wey EFCC dey investigate and accuse against dem

Photo collage of some of di ex-ministers EFCC dey investigate Photo collage of some of di ex-ministers EFCC dey investigate

Reports bin first come out on Wednesday say dem kidnap Chris Ngige, di former govnor of Anambra State and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment.

Na later, one of Ngige former tok-tok pesin, Fred Chukwuelobe, clear di air say di former minister dey for di custody of di Economic and Fincancial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Di EFCC neva confirm or deny dis claim and dia tok-tok person Dele Oyewole neva respond messages wey our tori pesin send am about dis.

But dis development don add to di number of ministers and top govment pipo - especially di ones wey serve for di immediate past administration, under late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari - wey EFCC dey accuse of corruption and oda issues.

Dis na some of dem:

Timipre Sylva

Timipre Sylva na di former govnor of Bayelsa State wey bin also hold one of di most important post for di administration of President Muhammadu Buhari - Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.

Buhari imsef be di main Minister of Petroleum, but na Sylva be di one wey directly dey in charge of di day-to-day activities of di ministry, wey be di ogbonge source of revenue for Nigeria.

On November 10 dis year, di EFCC declare Sylva wanted sake of accuse of mago mago wey pass $14 million (21 billion naira).

According to di anti-corruption body, one Lagos State High Court bin don issue arrest warrant against Sylva since on 6 November, 2025, and dem say anybodi wey get 'useful' information about am make di pesin sharpaly report for any of dia offices.

Sylva bin no dey Nigeria dat time and e still neva come back, but im tok-tok person Julius Bokoru issue statement to say di EFCC bin neva first invite Sylva make e be say e refuse to honour dia invitation.

"For clarity, I no dey in direct communication wit Chief Sylva. Howeva, from available information and from prior official briefings, e dey important to restate say Chief Sylva go in line wit im respect for lawful institutions and due process, honour di invitation of di EFCC once e conclude im ongoing medical check-up for di United Kingdom," Oga Borku tok.

Dis na di second gbege wey Sylva dey face for recent times, as im bin don issue statement to deny say e get hand for di coup plot against President Tinubu earlier dis year.

Dat time, tori bin come out of how army pipo bin go search Sylva house for Bayelsa and Abuja, and oga Boroku later confam say "during di said operation, considerable damage bin dey inflicted upon di properties".

Boroku also deny say Sylva get any connection wit di coup as rumour bin dey carry am.

Recently on 8 December 2025, Boroku also confam say EFCC don go mark Timipre Sylva house for Abuja wit red ink and write "EFCC - KEEP OFF", wey be like say dem don seal di place.

Abubakar Malami

Malami na di immediate past Attorney-General of di Federation and Minister for Justice, and tori be say di EFCC dey investigate am on top plenty wuruwuru accuse.

Dele Oyewole wey be di EFCC tok-tok pesin neva come out openly to tok about dis investigation, but Malami imsef bin don first announce say EFCC invite am.

According to di former AGF, im invitation na sake of di mata of one $346.2 million wey Switzerland bin return to Nigeria as part of money wey former Military Head of State Sani Abacha bin loot.

Malami tok say di EFCC dey accuse am of wuruwuru on how im involve some law firms and pay dem plenty moni to help wit di legal processes of returning di money, wen e know say di former administration don already almost finish all di processes wey dey involved.

E say di EFCC dey accuse am of "abuse of office" and "money laundering", but im hand dey clean.

Some days later, Malami also deny allegations of "terrorism financing" wey e say some publications dey insinuate against am.

"I state clearly and unequivocally say I neva dey accused, invited, interrogated, investigated or charged by any security, law-enforcement, regulatory or intelligence agency—within or outside Nigeria—in respect of terrorism financing or any related offence," Malami tok for dat statement.

On Tuesday, tori come out say as Malami go ansa di EFCC invitation, dem detain am and as e be, e don spend two nights for detention. Punch Newspaper quote one EFCC oga wey tok say dem bin give di former AGF bail, but e neva meet di conditions so dat na why e still dey for detention as at dat time.

Hadi Sirika

Hadi Sirika na di former Minister of Aviation wey pull off di 'Nigeria Air' controversy, wey even di current administration don describe as ogbonge magomago.

"E no eva be Air Nigeria. Dat na di truth. Dem only paint am Nigeria Air. Na Ethiopian Airlines dem bin wan use to fly our flag."

Dat na di response of di current Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, wen tori pipo bin ask am about di 'Nigeria Air' project wey Sirika bin hurriedly launch just weeks before di tenure of President Buhari finish.

Presently, di EFCC don carry Sirika go court make e ansa questions on top some of di wuruwuru accuse about dat project.

Di EFCC allege say Sirika bin use im position as minister to give unfair advantage on im daughter Fatima, and her husband Jalal Hamma, by giving dem consultancy roles for di Nigerian Air start up, and also awarding dem contracts to construct extension for Katsina Airport.

Court later grant Sirika bail for N100 million and di mata still dey go on.

Godwin Emefiele

Even though e no be Minister, Emefiele na one of di pipo wey bin hold ogbonge position for di administration of President Muhammadu Buhari; e serve as di Govnor of di Central Bank of Nigeria.

Since e leave office, e don dey court dey ansa plenti gbege wey di govment don sama on top am, accuse of wuruwuru from illegal possession of firearm to money laundering and odas.

Di cases still dey go on for several courts across Lagos and Abuja.