Dino Melaye Sends Warning To FG, EFCC Over Plot To Arrest Atiku Amid Corruption Petition

Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, has warned the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against inviting, arresting or interrogating the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, over alleged corruption petitions.

Melaye, a prominent member of the ADC, said the party would resist any attempt to use what he described as “frivolous petitions” as a basis to target Atiku.

He issued the warning in a video posted on his X account while reacting to a demand by a former member of the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, for the EFCC to reopen investigations into allegations of financial crimes involving the former Vice-President.

Melaye said, “This is our note of warning, if due to this frivolous petitions you invite, arrest, or interview Atiku Abubakar, and we are not saying it with fear or favour, we will prove to you that those in government are less than one percent of the population of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We will prove to you that the people own government.”

The warning followed a 14-day demand issued to the EFCC by Agbonayinma through his lawyer, Hannibal Uwaifo of Sagitarian Law Firm, asking the anti-graft agency to reopen and prosecute alleged financial crimes cases involving Atiku.

In a letter dated August 27 and received by the EFCC on September 1, the lawyer referred to an EFCC investigation and report concerning allegations against Atiku dating back to 2005 and 2006, when he served as Vice-President.

The letter cited a September 2006 document titled, “The EFCC Report on Vice-President Abubakar Atiku (Full Report),” which it said contained allegations of “sleaze, money laundering, and other serious financial crimes and other criminal acts” involving the former Vice-President.

According to Agbonayinma’s lawyers, the EFCC had indicated that Atiku would be prosecuted after leaving office, but alleged that no such prosecution was subsequently carried out.

The lawyers described the alleged failure to prosecute as a “serious violation” of the law establishing the EFCC.

They also cited a February 4, 2010, report by the United States Senate Permanent Sub-Committee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, which they claimed contained allegations relating to money laundering and other financial crimes involving Atiku.

Agbonayinma is asking the EFCC to reactivate both the 2006 agency report and the 2010 US Senate report as the basis for what he described as the “immediate prosecution” of Atiku.

The former lawmaker said reopening the matter would demonstrate the EFCC’s commitment to investigating corruption allegations involving politically influential individuals.

“Our client believes that the present leadership at the EFCC has all it takes to bring Nigeria out of the high corruption index for which the country is presently infamous,” the letter stated.

Agbonayinma further described prosecution of the case as potentially “one of the greatest milestone achievements” of the anti-graft agency.

He subsequently ­warned that failure by the EFCC to act within 14 days of receiving the petition would prompt his client to commence legal proceedings against the commission.