Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has called for the immediate recusal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, from an ongoing investigation involving him, citing alleged bias, personal vendetta, and political persecution linked to his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement issued Monday by his spokesman, Muhammad Doka, Malami accused the EFCC of illegal detention, media harassment, and procedural abuse. He insisted that the investigation is driven not by legal considerations but by “deep-seated historical animosity” on the part of the EFCC leadership.
“I have been clearly prejudged and cannot receive a fair, objective, or lawful investigation under the current leadership of the EFCC,” Malami said.
The former AGF anchored his allegations in events dating back to his tenure, when the Federal Government set up the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe allegations of corruption and abuse of office within the EFCC.
Malami noted that Olukoyede served as Secretary to the 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 stated.
Malami therefore formally demanded the EFCC Chairman step aside and called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to intervene. “To restore credibility and public confidence, another appropriate law enforcement agency must handle this matter,” he said, warning that inaction could result in “serious institutional damage.”
The former minister also demanded either his immediate arraignment or release within 24 hours, citing Sections 35(3), (4), and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), emphasizing that only a court of competent jurisdiction—not a politically compromised agency—can lawfully adjudicate the matter.
Raising further concerns, Malami accused the EFCC of seeking to rely on individuals currently serving sentences abroad as potential witnesses, describing this approach as “desperate, scandalous, and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.” He argued that such individuals should be subject to extradition rather than used as prosecution witnesses.
According to the statement, Malami’s legal team has taken steps to safeguard his rights, including requesting Certified True Copies of the petitions that triggered the investigation and the EFCC’s investigation report, to adequately 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 individuals,” he concluded.
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