Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has formally called for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman to recuse himself from an ongoing investigation against him. Malami alleged that the probe is biased, politically motivated, and driven by personal grudges related to his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement released on Monday through his media aide, Muhammad Doka, Malami accused the EFCC of engaging in “illegal detention, media harassment, and procedural abuse.” He insisted that the investigation is not based on legitimate law enforcement concerns but on “deep-seated historical animosity” from the EFCC leadership.
“I have been clearly pre-judged and cannot receive a fair, objective, or lawful investigation under the current leadership of the EFCC,” Malami said.
The former justice minister traced his concerns back to his tenure as AGF when the Federal Government set up the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry. The commission was tasked with investigating corruption and misconduct within the EFCC. Malami noted that the current EFCC Chairman served as Secretary to that commission, whose report reportedly contained critical findings against him.
“The present investigation bears all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution motivated by personal vengeance,” Malami alleged, describing the probe as an extension of past grievances.
Malami demanded that the EFCC Chairman step aside and asked the Attorney-General of the Federation to intervene, stating that another law enforcement agency should handle the matter to preserve public trust. “To restore credibility and public confidence, another appropriate law enforcement agency must handle this matter,” he said. He further warned that failing to act could lead to “serious institutional damage.”
In addition, Malami called for either his immediate arraignment or release within 24 hours, citing Sections 35(3), (4), and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). “Only a court of competent jurisdiction—not a politically compromised agency—can lawfully and credibly adjudicate this matter,” he said.
He also criticized the EFCC’s reported plan to use individuals convicted abroad as potential witnesses, calling it “desperate, scandalous, and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.” Malami emphasized that such persons should be subjects of extradition, not prosecution witnesses.
Malami’s legal team has reportedly begun formal steps to protect his rights, including obtaining Certified True Copies of the petitions that triggered the investigation and the EFCC’s investigation report to prepare his defense.
“Let it be stated clearly: I seek no political settlement or inducement,” Malami said. “My singular objective is to clear my name openly and transparently before a court of competent jurisdiction. Nigeria must not become a republic where anti-corruption agencies are tools of political intimidation. The law must remain supreme—above politics, above power, and above persons.”