Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has called on the EFCC Chairman to step aside from an ongoing investigation and threatened prosecution against him, describing the probe as a politically motivated “witch-hunt.”
In a statement released on Monday, Malami alleged that the investigation and his detention are fueled by personal animosity linked to his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). He claimed that the EFCC Chairman holds a longstanding grudge originating from the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which investigated corruption allegations within the EFCC during his tenure as Attorney-General.
Malami said, “The present investigation—marked by illegal detentions, media harassment, and procedural abuses—bears all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution motivated by personal vengeance,” insisting that the EFCC under its current leadership cannot carry out a fair or impartial probe into his activities.
He formally requested that the EFCC Chairman recuse himself and that the case be transferred to another government agency to ensure credibility, impartiality, and public confidence. He also urged the current Attorney-General to intervene, warning that continued involvement by the EFCC Chairman could lead to further institutional damage and abuse of prosecutorial powers.
Highlighting the importance of judicial oversight, Malami demanded immediate arraignment before a competent court, citing Sections 35(3), (4), and (5) of the Nigerian Constitution, emphasizing that only a court—not a politically compromised agency—can lawfully adjudicate the matter.
Malami further accused the EFCC of intending to rely on questionable witnesses, including individuals convicted abroad, calling this strategy “desperate, scandalous, and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”
His office has formally requested certified copies of the petitions and investigation reports that formed the basis of the EFCC’s actions, referencing complaints by Human and Environmental Agenda and Grassroot Advocacy for Peace and Good Governance.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to clearing his name transparently through lawful judicial processes and warned against the politicization of anti-corruption agencies, stating, “The law must remain supreme—above politics, above power, and above persons.”
The statement was signed by Mohammed Bello Doka, Special Assistant on Media to Abubakar Malami, SAN.
