By Joy Yesufu
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 an ongoing investigation involving him, citing alleged bias, personal vendetta and political persecution.
In a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Muhammad Doka, Malami accused the anti-graft agency of conducting what he described as an unlawful and prejudiced investigation marked by illegal detention, media harassment and procedural abuses.
Malami argued that the probe was not motivated by legitimate law enforcement objectives but by what he termed “deep-seated historical animosity” allegedly linked to his role during his tenure as Attorney-General and his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“I have been clearly pre-judged and cannot receive a fair, objective or lawful investigation under the current leadership of the EFCC,” Malami said.
He anchored his claims on events during his time in office, when the Federal Government constituted the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of office within the EFCC.
According to Malami, the incumbent EFCC chairman served as Secretary to the commission, adding that the Salami Report, which is now in the public domain, contained adverse findings against him.
“The present investigation bears all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution motivated by personal vengeance,” Malami alleged.
Based on this, he formally requested that the EFCC chairman step aside from any involvement in the matter and urged the Attorney-General of the Federation, in his capacity as the nation’s Chief Law Officer, to intervene.
“To restore credibility and public confidence, another appropriate law enforcement agency must be assigned to this matter,” he said, warning that failure to do so could result in serious institutional damage.
Malami also demanded either his immediate arraignment before a court or his 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 stated.
He further accused the EFCC of attempting to rely on individuals convicted by foreign courts and currently serving criminal sentences abroad as potential witnesses, describing such a move as “desperate, scandalous and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”
Malami argued that such individuals should ordinarily be subjects of extradition rather than prosecution witnesses.
According to the statement, Malami’s legal team has taken steps to safeguard 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 his defence.
“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 instruments of political intimidation. The law must remain supreme—above politics, power and persons.”
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had yet to respond to the allegations.
