A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has demanded the immediate recusal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from his ongoing investigation, alleging bias, personal vendetta and political persecution linked to his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress.

In a strongly worded press release issued on Monday by his media aide, Muhammad Doka, Malami accused the EFCC of conducting what he described as an “illegal detention, media harassment and procedural abuse,” insisting that the probe against him was not driven by law enforcement considerations but by “deep-seated historical animosity” on the part of 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 justice minister anchored his claims on events dating back to his tenure as AGF, when the Federal Government constituted the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of office within the EFCC.

Malami noted that the current EFCC Chairman served as Secretary to the commission and that the Salami Report—now in the public domain—contained adverse findings against him. “The present investigation bears all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution motivated by personal vengeance,” Malami alleged.

On this basis, Malami formally called on the EFCC Chairman to step aside from the matter and urged 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 said, warning that failure to act could cause “serious institutional damage.”

Malami also demanded either his immediate arraignment or release within 24 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 insisted.

Raising further concerns, the former AGF accused the EFCC of attempting to rely on individuals convicted by foreign courts and currently serving criminal sentences abroad as potential witnesses. He described such moves as “desperate, scandalous and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system,” arguing that such persons should ordinarily be subjects of extradition, not prosecution witnesses.

According to the statement, Malami’s legal team has already initiated formal steps to safeguard his rights, including requests for Certified True Copies of the petitions said to have triggered the investigation and the EFCC’s investigation report to enable him 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 yet to respond to Malami’s latest claims as of the time of filing this report. (PUNCH)

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