December 15, (THEWILL) — Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of subjecting him to a politically motivated witch-hunt, insisting that the ongoing investigation and threatened prosecution against him are driven by personal vendetta rather than genuine law enforcement considerations.
In a statement signed on Monday by his spokesperson, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami alleged that the EFCC’s actions followed his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He described the investigation and his alleged detention as retaliatory, rooted in what he termed “historical animosity” involving the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
Malami recalled that during his tenure as Attorney-General, the Federal Government set up the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe allegations of corruption and abuse of office within the EFCC. He noted that Olukoyede served as Secretary to the commission, whose report, now in the public domain, allegedly made adverse findings against him, including recommendations bordering on possible prosecution.
According to Malami, the current investigation bears “all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution,” marked by alleged unlawful detention, media harassment and procedural abuses. He maintained that these actions amount to a grave abuse of office and an affront to the rule of law, adding that he has been pre-judged and cannot expect a fair or impartial process under the EFCC’s present leadership.
The former minister therefore demanded the immediate recusal of the EFCC Chairman from any further involvement in the matter and called for the transfer of the case to another appropriate law enforcement agency in order to restore public confidence and institutional credibility.
He also urged the Attorney-General of the Federation, as the Chief Law Officer of the country, to intervene by prevailing on the EFCC Chairman to step aside, warning that continued involvement could undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system and the proper exercise of prosecutorial powers.
Malami further insisted on strict compliance with constitutional provisions, demanding that he be either charged to court or released within 24 hours, in line with Sections 35(3), (4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He stressed that only a court of competent jurisdiction, not what he described as politically compromised agencies, has the authority to determine the matter.
He also accused the EFCC of planning to rely on individuals convicted by foreign courts and currently serving criminal sentences abroad as witnesses against him. Malami described the alleged plan as “desperate and scandalous,” arguing that such individuals should ordinarily be subjects of extradition proceedings rather than instruments of a domestic political agenda.
The statement added that Malami’s legal team has formally requested Certified True Copies of petitions said to have triggered the investigation, as well as the EFCC’s investigation report, which he said are necessary to enable him adequately prepare his defence.
Reiterating his position, Malami said he seeks no political settlement or inducement but is determined to clear his name openly before a court of competent jurisdiction, warning that Nigeria must not allow its anti-corruption institutions to be reduced to tools of political intimidation.
“Nigeria must not degenerate into a republic where anti-corruption agencies are deployed as instruments of political intimidation,” he said, stressing that the law must remain supreme “above politics, above power and above persons.”
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