{"id":129531,"date":"2026-09-18T22:28:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T21:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=129531"},"modified":"2026-09-18T22:28:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T21:28:18","slug":"ex-lawmaker-dares-melaye-to-produce-efcc-record-on-atiku-probe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/ex-lawmaker-dares-melaye-to-produce-efcc-record-on-atiku-probe\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-lawmaker Dares Melaye to Produce EFCC Record on Atiku Probe"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja<\/strong><\/p>\n

Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, has challenged Senator Dino Melaye to produce any official decision of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or court record showing that allegations against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar were investigated and dismissed more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n

Agbonayinma made the challenge in a strongly worded statement made available to journalists in Benin on Friday, while reacting to Melaye\u2019s criticism of his petition against Atiku.<\/p>\n

Melaye had, in a viral video, described the petition as \u201cshameful\u201d, alleging that the issues raised against Atiku had previously been investigated and dismissed more than 10 years ago.<\/p>\n

The former Kogi senator also questioned Agbonayinma\u2019s political consistency, alleging that he had personally approached him and pleaded to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).<\/p>\n

Agbonayinma, however, dismissed the claim, insisting that he had never sought to join the ADC and remained a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).<\/p>\n

He described Melaye\u2019s claim as \u201ceither a deliberate falsehood or simply a reflection of how poorly informed\u201d the senator was about his current political affiliation.<\/p>\n

According to him, his petition was filed in his capacity as a concerned Nigerian seeking public accountability and not as an instrument of political vendetta.<\/p>\n

Agbonayinma said allegations of corruption should be investigated by the appropriate anti-graft agency, stressing that neither Atiku nor any other public official should be shielded from lawful scrutiny.<\/p>\n

\u201cRather than attacking my person, character and integrity, why not address the substance of the petition?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou cannot defend Atiku Abubakar from an EFCC petition by attacking me,\u201d he said, challenging Melaye to allow the commission to perform its statutory responsibilities.<\/p>\n

The former lawmaker added that if Atiku had nothing to fear, he should be allowed to respond to any questions the commission might consider necessary.<\/p>\n

Reacting to Melaye\u2019s description of him as \u201cunstable\u201d, Agbonayinma dismissed the remark as a childish insult.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy record in public service speaks for itself, and I am prepared to defend my integrity anywhere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also challenged Melaye to produce the official EFCC decision or court record supporting his claim that the matter had been \u201cthrown out over ten years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agbonayinma said he was not intimidated by what he described as Melaye\u2019s \u201cnoise\u201d, \u201ctheatrics\u201d or personal attacks, insisting that the controversy should be settled through evidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have evidence against me, bring it forward. If you have facts concerning the petition, present them,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefend the facts, not personalities,\u201d he added, reiterating that political friendship or loyalty should not be used as a shield against lawful investigation.<\/p>\n

The controversy has also generated reactions on social media, with some Nigerians questioning why Atiku should be treated differently if an anti-graft agency considers his invitation necessary.<\/p>\n

A Facebook user who reacted when the controversy first broke said: \u201cThis Dino, when Atiku is captured, will run and climb a tree as usual. If there is a reason to invite or arrest Atiku, EFCC should go ahead and heaven will not fall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another user said: \u201cPresident Jonathan docked Tinubu before Code of Conduct Tribunal. The trial went on till Tinubu was given a clean bill of health. If there is a need to invite Atiku, let EFCC or ICPC do it. He is not above the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest exchange has consequently shifted attention from the personalities involved to the central question of whether an official record exists to substantiate Melaye\u2019s claim that the allegations were previously investigated and dismissed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, has challenged Senator Dino Melaye to produce any official decision of the Economic and Financial…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":129532,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nEx-lawmaker Dares Melaye to Produce EFCC Record on Atiku Probe - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/ex-lawmaker-dares-melaye-to-produce-efcc-record-on-atiku-probe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ex-lawmaker Dares Melaye to Produce EFCC Record on Atiku Probe - Pointblank News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja Former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. 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