“Malami Blasts EFCC, Demands Chairman Step Aside Over Alleged Bias”

Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has demanded the immediate recusal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman from the investigation against him, citing alleged bias, personal vendetta, and political persecution tied to his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a strongly worded statement on Monday, issued by his media aide Muhammad Doka, Malami accused the EFCC of engaging in “illegal detention, media harassment, and procedural abuse,” insisting that the probe is driven by “deep-seated historical animosity” rather than legitimate law enforcement concerns.

“I have been pre-judged and cannot receive a fair, objective, or lawful investigation under the current EFCC leadership,” Malami declared.

He pointed to events during his tenure as AGF when the Federal Government set up the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to examine allegations of corruption and misconduct within the EFCC. Malami noted that the current EFCC chairman served as Secretary to that commission and that the publicly released Salami Report contained adverse findings against him.

“The present investigation bears all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution motivated by personal vengeance,” he alleged.

On this basis, Malami formally called on the EFCC chairman to step aside and urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to intervene. He stressed that assigning another appropriate law enforcement agency to the matter is essential to restore credibility and public confidence.

Malami further demanded either his immediate arraignment or release within 24 hours, invoking Sections 35(3), (4), and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and insisted that “only a competent court—not a politically compromised agency—can lawfully and credibly adjudicate this matter.”

He also raised concerns over the EFCC’s purported reliance on individuals convicted by foreign courts and currently serving sentences abroad as potential witnesses, describing the approach as “desperate, scandalous, and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”

According to the statement, Malami’s legal team has taken formal steps to protect his rights, including requesting Certified True Copies of the petitions and EFCC investigation report to prepare his defence.

Malami concluded: “Let it be stated clearly: I seek no political settlement or inducement. My sole aim is to clear my name 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.”

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