Former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has formally requested the immediate recusal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from his ongoing investigation. He alleged that the probe was tainted by personal vendetta and political persecution following his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress.
In a press statement released on Monday by his media aide, Muhammad Doka, Malami accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of engaging in “illegal detention, media harassment and procedural abuse.” He insisted that the ongoing investigation is driven not by law enforcement imperatives but by “deep-seated historical animosity” from the commission’s leadership.
“I have been clearly pre-judged and cannot receive a fair, objective or lawful investigation under the current leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” Malami said, emphasizing the perceived lack of impartiality.
The former Attorney-General anchored his claims on his tenure as Minister of Justice when the Federal Government established the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to examine corruption and misconduct within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Malami noted that the current EFCC Chairman had served as Secretary to the commission and that the Salami Report contained findings that were adverse to him.
“The present investigation bears all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution motivated by personal vengeance,” Malami alleged.
He urged the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to step aside and called on the Attorney-General of the Federation, as the nation’s Chief Law Officer, to intervene. “To restore credibility and public confidence, another appropriate law enforcement agency must handle this matter,” he added, warning that failure to act could inflict “serious institutional damage.”
Okay News reports that Malami also demanded either his immediate arraignment or release within twenty-four 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 said.
Raising further concerns, he accused the EFCC of seeking to rely on individuals convicted in foreign courts who are currently serving sentences abroad as witnesses. Malami described the move as “desperate, scandalous and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”
His legal team has already taken steps to protect his rights, requesting Certified True Copies of the petitions that triggered the investigation, as well as the EFCC’s investigation report, to prepare his defence.
“Let it be stated clearly: I seek no political settlement or inducement. My singular 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 tools of political intimidation. The law must remain supreme—above politics, above power and above persons,” he said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had not responded to these latest claims at the time of reporting.
