THE Presidency has expressed support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after the anti-graft agency declared Abdullahi Haske, businessman and son-in-law to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, wanted over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
News Point Nigeria gathered that Haske, the founder of AA & R Investment Group, was reportedly declared wanted after allegedly breaching the conditions of his administrative bail and refusing to honour invitations by the EFCC.
According to an insider at the commission, the businessman had been under investigation for months over alleged corruption but went into hiding after securing bail.
“His case with the EFCC has been ongoing for some time. He was duly invited and granted bail with clear conditions, but he failed to comply.
He was expected to report regularly as investigations continued, yet he disappeared. His refusal to honour our invitations left the commission with no choice but to declare him wanted,” the source disclosed.
In a public notice signed by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the agency appealed to Nigerians with information about Haske’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station or EFCC office nationwide.
His last known addresses in Ikoyi and Victoria Island, Lagos, were published, along with phone numbers and an email for tips.
Haske’s company, AA & R Investment Group, with interests spanning energy, agribusiness, logistics, and ICT, has previously been linked to investigations involving alleged multimillion-dollar transfers from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Reacting to the development, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of weaponising state institutions to target opposition figures.
“Our concern is that we hope the young man is not being victimised simply for being related to the former Vice President. Tinubu has demonstrated the tendency to harass and intimidate opposition voices through state machinery,” Ibe said.
However, the Presidency dismissed the claims as baseless. Speaking through the Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Sunday Dare, it insisted that the EFCC was acting within its legal mandate.
“There is no harassment or victimisation here, only the independent and lawful operation of Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions. No one is above the law,” Dare said.
The Presidential aide further stressed that the Tinubu administration is committed to strengthening the rule of law and due process, unlike past governments accused of using state institutions as tools for political witch-hunts.
“Those attempting to politicise the arrest of a former Vice President’s in-law are grasping at straws. The EFCC is carrying out its statutory duties without fear or favour.
“President Tinubu does not abuse the powers of his office. This government is determined to strengthen institutions and ensure that investigations and prosecutions are evidence-driven and transparent,” he added.
The case is the latest in a series of high-profile corruption investigations involving politically connected businessmen and politicians, underlining the government’s pledge to tackle corruption without sacred cows.