Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate for 2027, is asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to redirect its energy toward major corruption cases instead of chasing social media commentators. The call came through the Peter Obi Media Reach, which pushed back against what it called unnecessary harassment of two online commentators, Randy Peter and Mama Pee.
POMR spokesperson Idris Zekeri signed a statement on Thursday laying out the group’s position. While acknowledging that the EFCC remains central to Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight, the group insisted the agency’s resources would be far better spent on financial mismanagement, diversion of public funds and other economic crimes that continue to hold the country back.
The statement pointed to a pattern the group finds troubling, one where online critics, political activists and social media commentators are repeatedly summoned, questioned or detained over infractions that are often minor or open to debate. POMR did not dispute that the law should apply equally to everyone. Instead, it questioned whether pouring significant investigative resources into online disputes actually serves the EFCC’s core mandate.
There is also a reputational cost to consider, according to the group. When the public starts to see the commission as an instrument for silencing dissent or managing perception rather than fighting graft, that damages the trust the agency depends on to function effectively.
POMR’s appeal to EFCC leadership was direct, urging the commission to channel its investigative and legal firepower toward high-profile financial crimes and public sector corruption, the kinds of cases that actually affect economic growth, infrastructure and public confidence in government. The group also cautioned the commission against getting pulled into political or social media disputes, arguing that doing so distracts from what should be its singular focus, corruption.
The statement closed on a hopeful note, with POMR insisting that a corruption-free Nigeria is achievable and calling for renewed commitment to transparency and accountability across public service.
The intervention comes at a moment when scrutiny of the EFCC’s priorities has grown, with critics increasingly asking whether the agency is spreading itself too thin by wading into online spats rather than concentrating on the financial crimes that do the most damage to the country’s economy. For POMR, the message is straightforward: an anti-graft body that loses public trust cannot fight corruption effectively, no matter how many cases it opens.
