The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission released two prominent supporters of Peter Obi on Wednesday night. The pair had spent roughly 11 hours at the commission’s Abuja headquarters over an alleged naira abuse offense.
The activists, identified as Randy Peter (also named in some reports as Peter Akah) and Precious Oruche, popularly known as Mama Pee, are known backers of the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election. They arrived at the EFCC office around 1:00 p.m. on 15 July and were freed near midnight. Officials directed them to return the next day for further questioning.
Their lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, confirmed the questioning stemmed from two separate invitation letters, dated 24 June and 6 July 2026. He said the commission had not made its reasons public before his clients honoured the invitation.
Effiong said his clients cooperated fully with investigators throughout the session. He described the process as professional and said the pair addressed the specific allegation directly.
According to Effiong, the naira notes referenced in the case were props used for entertainment purposes, not currency handled in violation of the law. Nigeria’s naira abuse statute bars spraying, defacing, or mishandling currency notes in public, an offense that has drawn scrutiny in recent years as street parties and social media videos have made the practice more visible.
Activist Chidiebere Mark, known online as Justice Crack, accompanied the pair to the EFCC headquarters and later described the ordeal on social media. He said the two were released around midnight and told to come back the following day. “It was a very long day,” he wrote.
News of the prolonged questioning spread quickly after Esther Umoh, who served as Obi’s campaign photographer in 2023, said the activists had not been released for several hours. The commission issued no public statement addressing the case as concern mounted online.
The Obidient Movement, a coalition of Obi supporters, accused the EFCC on Thursday of using the naira abuse probe as cover to target the candidate’s allies. In a statement, the group called the questioning a targeted attempt at intimidation while other corruption cases went unpursued.
The movement also criticised EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede directly, alleging the commission had been slow to act on corruption allegations involving members of the ruling All Progressives Congress while moving quickly against Obi’s supporters.
Obi responded through his campaign office, the Peter Obi Media Office. He urged the EFCC to redirect its attention toward major corruption cases and other strategic priorities instead of pursuing social media activists. The statement called for stronger commitment to transparency and accountability across public service.
Speaking after a second round of questioning on Thursday, Akah and Mama Pee said they would not be silenced. Mama Pee told reporters outside the EFCC headquarters that the group remained resolute despite what she described as intimidation. “We are resilient,” she said.
The activists returned to the EFCC on 16 July to continue the investigation, and no timeline has been given for when the case will close. The commission has not issued a formal statement explaining the basis for the invitations or responding to the political targeting allegation.
The episode adds friction to an already tense run-up to the 2027 election, in which Obi is seeking the NDC ticket after his 2023 campaign under the Labour Party banner. How the EFCC handles the case, and whether it results in formal charges, is likely to shape how opposition supporters view the commission’s independence in the months ahead.
