Recent reports that former Anambra State governor and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, is in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have renewed attention on the number of senior officials from the last administration facing corruption-related investigations.

Initial claims on Wednesday suggested Ngige had been kidnapped, but one of his former media aides, Fred Chukwuelobe, later clarified that the former minister was with the EFCC. The commission has neither confirmed nor denied this, and its spokesperson, Dele Oyewole, has yet to respond publicly.

Ngige’s situation adds to a growing list of ex-ministers and top officials from the Muhammadu Buhari administration who are either being investigated or prosecuted by the EFCC. 

Below are some of the most prominent names and the allegations around them.

Timipre Sylva – Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources

Former Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under Buhari, effectively overseeing the day-to-day running of Nigeria’s most critical revenue-generating ministry.

On 10 November 2025, the EFCC declared Sylva wanted over alleged fraud exceeding $14 million (about ₦21 billion). According to the commission, a Lagos State High Court issued a warrant for his arrest on 6 November 2025. The EFCC appealed to anyone with useful information on his whereabouts to report to any of its offices.

Sylva was reportedly outside Nigeria at the time. His spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, insisted that the former minister had never been invited by the EFCC before being declared wanted and said Sylva would honour any lawful invitation once he concluded ongoing medical checks in the United Kingdom.

This is Sylva’s second major controversy in recent months. Earlier in the year, security operatives reportedly searched his homes in Bayelsa and Abuja in connection with an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu, an allegation his camp strongly denied.

On 8 December 2025, Bokoru confirmed that EFCC operatives had marked Sylva’s Abuja residence with red paint and the inscription “EFCC – KEEP OFF”, suggesting the property had been sealed.

Abubakar Malami – Former Attorney-General of the Federation

Abubakar Malami, the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, is also under EFCC investigation over several corruption-related allegations.

While the EFCC has not formally briefed the public, Malami himself confirmed that he was invited to answer questions relating to the repatriation of $346.2 million from Switzerland, part of the funds looted by former military ruler Sani Abacha.

According to Malami, the EFCC is probing his decision to engage certain law firms and pay substantial legal fees for work connected to the return of the Abacha loot, despite claims that much of the groundwork had been done by previous administrations. He said the commission is accusing him of abuse of office and money laundering, allegations he strongly denies.

Malami has also publicly rejected suggestions that he is linked to terrorism financing, stressing that he has never been accused, invited, investigated or charged by any security or law enforcement agency inside or outside Nigeria over such offences.

Reports emerged on Tuesday that Malami was detained after honouring an EFCC invitation and had spent two nights in custody. An EFCC official quoted in local media said the former AGF had been granted bail but had yet to meet the conditions.

Hadi Sirika – Former Minister of Aviation

Former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika is facing trial over the controversial Nigeria Air project, which the current administration has described as a fraud-ridden scheme.

Current Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has publicly said, “It was never Nigeria Air. That is the truth. They only painted it Nigeria Air. It was Ethiopian Airlines they planned to use to fly our flag,” questioning the integrity of the hurried launch just weeks before Buhari left office.

The EFCC has charged Sirika to court over alleged abuse of office linked to Nigeria Air and other contracts. The commission alleges that he used his position to confer undue advantage on his daughter, Fatima, and her husband, Jalal Hamma, by awarding them consultancy roles for the airline’s start-up as well as contracts for expansion works at Katsina Airport.

Sirika has been granted bail in the sum of ₦100 million, and the case is ongoing.

Godwin Emefiele – Former CBN Governor

Although not a minister, Godwin Emefiele was one of the most powerful figures in the Buhari administration as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Since leaving office, he has faced multiple charges in court, including alleged illegal possession of firearms, money laundering, and other financial offences. 

His trials and the surrounding controversies have made him a leading example of how aggressively the current authorities are revisiting decisions and actions from the previous administration.