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African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the detention and prosecution of two people accused of cyberbullying the agency.
Sowore, in a statement posted on X on Thursday, said he witnessed the arraignment of two defendants, including Maryam Isa Shehu, a final-year student of Bayero University Kano (BUK), before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
He alleged that both defendants had spent nearly 30 days in detention before being brought before the court, but were subsequently remanded in prison custody.
“The EFCC under Ola Olukoyede is inherently evil,” Sowore said.
Sowore said he was particularly concerned about Shehu’s situation because of her status as a university student and the timing of her remand.
“Yet, instead of being allowed to return home while their cases proceed, they were both remanded in prison custody,” he said.
According to Sowore, Shehu was sent to Suleja Prison, while the other defendant was remanded at Kuje Prison.
He said both were expected to remain in custody until August 31.
“What makes Maryam’s situation even more disturbing is that she is a final-year university student who is due to begin her final examinations this Saturday,” Sowore said.
“None of that appeared to matter,” he added.
Sowore accused the EFCC of going beyond its mandate by pursuing citizens for criticising the agency.
“An anti-corruption agency should be fighting corruption, not turning itself into an institution for hunting down, detaining and prosecuting citizens over criticism or alleged ‘cyberbullying,’” he said.
He questioned the circumstances surrounding Shehu’s detention and prosecution.
“What kind of institution detains a university student for nearly a month, arraigns her for allegedly cyberbullying the agency, and then seeks to keep her behind bars while her final examinations are about to begin?” he asked.
The @officialEFCC under Ola Olukoyede is inherently evil.
I sat through two separate court sittings today in which two individuals, including Maryam Isa Shehu, a female student of Bayero University Kano (BUK), were arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik by the Economic and… pic.twitter.com/kLuDtYC7pH
— Omoyele Sowore (@sowore) August 20, 2026
