Malami Accuses EFCC of Political ‘Witch-Hunt,’ Calls for Chairman’s Recusal

• Former AGF Abubakar Malami has alleged that the EFCC’s investigation against him is politically motivated, demanding the agency’s chairman step aside and warning of institutional damage if action is not taken.

Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman to recuse himself from an ongoing investigation, describing the probe as a politically motivated “witch-hunt.”

In a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Muhammad Doka, Malami accused the EFCC of engaging in “illegal detention, media harassment and procedural abuse.” He insisted that the investigation was driven not by law enforcement considerations but by “deep-seated historical animosity” from 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 said.

The former minister cited events dating back to his tenure as AGF, including the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which investigated allegations of corruption and abuse of office within the EFCC.

He noted that the current EFCC Chairman had served as Secretary to the commission, and that the publicly available Salami Report contained adverse findings against him. Malami alleged that the current investigation “bears all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution motivated by personal vengeance.”

Malami formally requested that the EFCC Chairman step aside and called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to intervene, urging that another law enforcement agency handle the matter to restore credibility and public confidence. He warned that failure to act could cause “serious institutional damage.”

He also demanded either immediate arraignment or release within 24 hours, citing Sections 35(3), (4), and (5) of the 1999 Constitution. “Only a court of competent jurisdiction—not a politically compromised agency—can lawfully and credibly adjudicate this matter,” Malami insisted.

Further, Malami raised concerns over the EFCC allegedly planning to rely on individuals convicted by foreign courts as potential witnesses, describing this approach as “desperate, scandalous and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”

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His legal team has initiated steps to safeguard his rights, including requesting Certified True Copies of petitions said to have triggered the investigation and the EFCC’s report to prepare his defence.

“Let it be stated clearly: I seek no political settlement or inducement,” Malami said. “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.”

The EFCC had not responded to Malami’s allegations at the time of filing this report.

Malami, who served as AGF under late President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023, is facing investigation for 18 alleged offences, including money laundering, abuse of office, and terrorism financing.