The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Abdullahi Bashir Haske, prominent businessman, founder of AA & R Investment Group, and son-in-law to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, wanted for alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
In a notice signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC urged members of the public with useful information about Haske’s whereabouts to report to any EFCC office nationwide or the nearest police station.
“The public is hereby notified that Abdullahi Bashir Haske, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering,” the statement read.
According to EFCC sources, Haske was earlier detained and questioned, with one of his passports seized to prevent escape. However, SaharaReporters learnt he allegedly fled the country using another passport.
Haske, 38, was last known to reside at No. 6 Mosley Road, Ikoyi and 952/953 Idejo Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Storm Over N5.7 Billion NNPCL Consultancy Deal
The development comes amid mounting controversy over an alleged ₦5.7 billion fraudulent consultancy contract at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which civil society groups have described as “daylight looting.”
A coalition under the banner Coalition of Nigerian Patriots for Good Governance recently announced a nationwide protest, accusing NNPCL Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari of reckless spending and misuse of public resources.
The group alleged that the NNPCL secretly awarded the multibillion-naira consultancy deal to Haske’s firm, HASKE, without public tender, competitive bidding, or compliance with procurement regulations.
“HASKE has long been associated with opaque deals, political patronage, and backchannel contracts,” the coalition claimed, questioning why such a contract was “handpicked in secrecy.”
The group further argued that the ₦5.7 billion could have funded 570 rural healthcare centres, 50,000 scholarships, 114 kilometres of rural roads, or 10,000 youth enterprises, instead of being funneled into what it described as a “phantom consultancy deal.”
Lavish Kigali Retreat Sparks Outrage
In addition to the contract scandal, NNPCL leadership has also been accused of organising a wasteful executive retreat in Kigali, Rwanda, allegedly coordinated by Haske.
Reports indicated that five private jets were chartered to fly board members and top executives to Kigali, where the entire Marriott Hotel was booked for the retreat. The development came just days after the Nigerian Senate raised concerns about the company’s financial records.
The coalition condemned the retreat as “extravagant and insensitive,” given Nigeria’s worsening economic crisis, rising poverty levels, and government appeals for public sacrifice.
A Growing Political Storm
Haske’s EFCC ordeal is widely seen as politically sensitive, given his ties to Atiku Abubakar, President Bola Tinubu’s main challenger in the 2023 election and a key player in opposition coalition-building ahead of 2027.
While the EFCC insists its case is strictly criminal, civil society groups and opposition figures have described the matter as a mix of corruption, political vendetta, and power play within Nigeria’s oil sector.
Efforts to reach Haske’s representatives and NNPCL’s spokesperson on Friday were unsuccessful. His exact location remains unknown.
Credit: SaharaReporters except headline
