Malami’s arrest: Atiku accuses EFCC of political witch-hunting

A file photo of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies of derailing from their mandate and turning the fight against corruption into what he described as a “full-blown political witch-hunt.”

In a statement issued by his media office and shared by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Thursday, Atiku warned that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-graft bodies risk losing public trust unless they “purge themselves of partisan contamination.”

His reaction followed the arrest and detention of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Sources within EFCC had confirmed to our correspondent on Tuesday that Malami would remain in custody until he fulfils the requirements.

“He is presently in our custody. He was initially granted bail but did not meet the conditions. The offences against him are many.

“Presently, we are investigating him for 18 different offences. Some of them are money laundering, abuse of office and terrorism financing. We cannot put a figure to the amount involved now because we keep uncovering some of the deals as we investigate,” one source said.

“We arrested him for not meeting his bail conditions, and he will remain in our custody until he meets those conditions,” Another official said.

Atiku warned “that the nation’s anti-corruption war is dangerously sliding off course and mutating into a brazen political witch-hunt.”

He alleged that the EFCC is “straying far from the noble principles” behind its creation and is now “weaponising its powers to serve narrow political agendas.”

According to him, “The politicisation of corruption investigations has rendered the EFCC’s credibility suspect and rubbished the very ideals that inspired its establishment.”

He further criticised what he called the “selective pursuit” of opposition figures such as Malami, warning that such actions portray the EFCC as “an overzealous appendage” intent on imposing a one-party system in Nigeria.

Atiku said, “EFCC suddenly became hyperactive the moment the African Democratic Congress (ADC) emerged as an opposition force, launching coordinated attacks on key figures such as Malami and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, while conveniently ignoring glaring corruption cases involving allies of the ruling party.

“We expected the EFCC to voice its objection to the appointment of former governors with unresolved corruption allegations. But partisan loyalty prevailed over integrity.”

The ex-VP claimed that had Malami defected to the APC, “the EFCC would have left him untouched, even if he had looted the entire CBN vault.”

Atiku warned that no serious country fights corruption by sacrificing the independence of its anti-graft institutions for partisan goals.

He urged the EFCC leadership to detach itself from political interference, saying the stakes were too high to “barter its integrity for the fleeting interests of any political party.”

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