By Woke Joshua
A legal practitioner, Nurat Ileigo Usman, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate alleged financial, procurement and accountability violations linked to the tenure of Professor Zana Itiunbe Akpagu as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL).
Usman, Principal Partner of Law & Order Attorneys, made the request in a petition dated September 18, 2026, and addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
The petition, which was made available to newsmen in Abuja, was acknowledged by the anti-graft agency on September 22, 2026.
In the petition, Usman said her clients were concerned about the management of public funds and the award and execution of contracts during Akpagu's tenure between 2015 and 2020.
She said the concerns were based on issues raised in the Presidential Visitation Panel Report and the Federal Government White Paper on the University of Calabar for the period under review.
According to her, the findings raised questions about compliance with public procurement procedures, financial controls, project execution and accountability in the management of the university's resources.
Usman also alleged that the reports contained concerns regarding the award and execution of contracts, including alleged contract splitting and breaches of applicable due-process requirements.
She further alleged that some projects financed through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), NEEDS Assessment and other funding sources were left incomplete during the period.
The lawyer urged the EFCC to obtain and examine the university's procurement records for the period, alongside the Presidential Visitation Panel Report and the Federal Government White Paper.
She also requested a comprehensive forensic financial and technical audit of projects funded through TETFund, NEEDS Assessment and other internal and external sources during Akpagu's administration.
Usman said the proposed investigation should cover the university's financial and procurement activities, with particular attention to major contracts, capital projects and intervention-funded projects.
She further asked the commission to establish the identities and beneficial ownership of companies and contractors that received substantial payments from the university during the period under review.
"Our petition is founded on grounds that weighty allegations were made concerning the use of public funds but same were never subjected to proper investigations to ascertain the veracity of same," she said.
Usman argued that an independent investigation was necessary to establish the facts surrounding the management and utilisation of public resources at the institution.
She noted that, as a federal university, UNICAL's resources were held in trust for the Nigerian public, making transparency and accountability in their management a matter of public interest.
The lawyer said a thorough investigation involving documentary review, financial analysis and physical verification of projects would be required to determine the propriety or otherwise of the allegations.
She added that her clients were willing to provide the EFCC with relevant documents and information in their possession to assist any investigation the commission might undertake.
Akpagu served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar from 2015 to 2020 and is identified in the petition as the Peoples Democratic Party's 2027 candidate for the Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku Federal Constituency of Cross River State.
The petition did not establish that the allegations had been proven against Akpagu. Rather, it called on the EFCC to investigate the issues raised in the visitation findings and establish whether any financial or procurement violations occurred.
Usman urged the commission to treat the petition as a matter of urgent public interest.