Former Delta State Governor and 2023 PDP vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa applied to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission this week to release his international passport to enable him to seek urgent medical treatment abroad, as an ongoing money laundering investigation into his affairs continues.
Sources familiar with the matter said Okowa submitted a formal application to the EFCC seeking temporary humanitarian access to his passport, which the commission has held as part of standard procedure during financial crime investigations. His legal team argued that his medical condition requires specialist treatment not readily available in Nigeria and that refusing the request would be a violation of his right to health.
EFCC Yet to Respond Formally
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The EFCC had not publicly confirmed whether it received or would consider the passport application at the time of this report. The commission typically evaluates such requests on a case-by-case basis, weighing humanitarian considerations against flight risk and investigation integrity concerns. Legal experts said the commission has previously granted similar passport releases under strict conditions, including travel restrictions to specific countries and mandatory return dates.
Okowa was investigated by the EFCC in connection with allegations of money laundering involving funds from Delta State’s treasury during his tenure as governor between 2015 and 2023. He has consistently denied the allegations and has been cooperating with the commission through his legal representatives. The former governor was also the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, running alongside Atiku Abubakar.
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Furthermore, his case joins a growing list of high-profile prosecutions and investigations dominating Nigeria’s anti-corruption landscape in 2026, including the ongoing trial of former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, the three-case prosecution of social media influencer Blessing CEO, and the long-running Sadiya Farouq matter. Notably, all these cases demonstrate the EFCC’s expanded appetite for pursuing powerful political figures. Consequently, Okowa’s passport request will be watched as a test of how the commission balances legal obligations with humanitarian considerations in high-profile investigation.
