Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has called for the immediate recusal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from his ongoing investigation, alleging bias, personal vendetta, and political persecution following his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Muhammad Doka, Malami accused the EFCC of subjecting him to what he described as illegal detention, media harassment, and procedural abuse. He insisted that the investigation was not driven by genuine law enforcement concerns but by “deep-seated historical animosity” within 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 stated.
The former justice minister anchored his claims on events dating back to his tenure as AGF, when the Federal Government constituted the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe allegations of corruption and abuse of office within the EFCC. Malami noted that the current EFCC Chairman served as Secretary to the commission, adding that the Salami Report, now publicly available, contained adverse findings against him.
According to Malami, the present investigation “bears all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution motivated by personal vengeance.”
On this basis, he formally demanded that the EFCC Chairman step aside from the case and called on the Attorney-General of the Federation, as the nation’s Chief Law Officer, to intervene. He argued that, to restore credibility and public confidence, the matter should be transferred to another appropriate law enforcement agency, warning that failure to do so could cause “serious institutional damage.”
Malami also demanded either his immediate arraignment or release within 24 hours, citing Sections 35(3), (4), and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He stressed that only a court of competent jurisdiction, and not what he termed a politically compromised agency, could lawfully adjudicate the matter.
Raising further concerns, the former AGF accused the EFCC of attempting to rely on individuals convicted by foreign courts and currently serving prison sentences abroad as potential witnesses. He described such an approach as “desperate, scandalous, and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system,” noting that such individuals should ordinarily be subjects of extradition rather than prosecution witnesses.
According to the statement, Malami’s legal team has commenced formal steps to protect his rights, including requests for Certified True Copies of the petitions that allegedly triggered the investigation, as well as the EFCC’s investigation report, to enable him prepare an effective defence.
“Let it be stated clearly: I seek no political settlement or inducement,” Malami said. “My sole 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 deployed as tools of political intimidation. The law must remain supreme—above politics, above power, and above persons.”
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not responded to Malami’s allegations.
