Lawyer petitions EFCC to investigate ex-UNICAL VC Akpagu over alleged financial infractions

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

A legal practitioner, Nurat Ileigo Usman, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately probe the alleged financial, procurement and accountability infractions levelled against Professor Zana Itiunbe Akpagu, who served as vice chancellor of the University of Calabar between 2015 and 2020.

Usman, in a petition dated September 18, 2026 and addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, urged the Commission to obtain and examine all procurement records for the period in question.

A copy of the acknowledgement letter, received by the anti-graft agency on September 22, 2026, was made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.

“We are solicitors to Nigerians, who are concerned about the manner in which contracts and public funds were expended under the administration of Prof. Zana Itiunbe Akpagu as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, and it is on our clients’ firm instructions that we respectfully petition your good office,” she said.

“Our clients briefed us that Prof. Zana Itiunbe Akpagu was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar between 2015 and 2020.”

Usman alleged that, within the period under review, several allegations against Akpagu now the 2027 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku Federal Constituency of Cross River State were never conclusively investigated by any law enforcement agency.

“This petition is prompted by matters contained in the Presidential Visitation Panel Report/White Paper on the University of Calabar for the period 2016–2020, which raises serious questions concerning compliance with public procurement requirements, financial controls, project execution, and accountability for funds entrusted to the university,” she said.

According to the petitioner, the Federal Ministry of Education publicly lists the University of Calabar 2016–2020 Visitation Panel White Paper among the Federal Government’s visitation reports.

“The published visitation report identifies Prof. Zana Akpagu as Vice-Chancellor during the relevant period and raises concerns relating, among other matters, to due-process compliance and numerous uncompleted TETFund and NEEDS Assessment projects,” she said.