Ex-AGF Malami spends fourth night with EFCC

File Photo: Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN).

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Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has spent his fourth night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Malami has been in detention since Monday after failing to meet the bail conditions set by the anti-graft agency.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that he is being investigated for 18 offences, including alleged abuse of office and terrorism financing.

Multiple EFCC sources, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the press, confirmed on Thursday that the former AGF remained in custody.

“He is still in our custody. He has been here since Monday over his failure to meet his bail conditions,” one of the sources said.

Meanwhile, Malami has denied allegations linking him to terrorism financing and claims that he operated 46 bank accounts. He described the accusations as “false, baseless and part of a coordinated media trial.”

In a statement issued by his media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, the former AGF said neither the EFCC nor any security or intelligence agency in Nigeria or abroad had ever investigated or accused him of terrorism financing.

“There is no allegation, investigation or charge of terrorism financing against Abubakar Malami, SAN. Claims about ‘46 bank accounts’ are entirely fictitious and unsupported by any official record,” the statement said.

He added that a retired military officer earlier quoted in media reports had since clarified that he never accused Malami of financing terrorism.

Malami further argued that the allegations were inconsistent with his record in office, citing his role in establishing the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and championing the passage of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act in 2022.

In his recent interrogation by the EFCC, he said the inquiry centred on an alleged duplication of processes in the recovery of the Abacha loot. According to him, no recovery process had been concluded before 2016 and therefore none could have been duplicated.

He also dismissed claims involving a Swiss lawyer, explaining that the lawyer had reapplied for engagement in 2016 and demanded up to 40 per cent in professional fees—an offer he said was rejected because the Buhari administration imposed a 5 per cent cap.

According to Malami, the appointment of Nigerian lawyers at a 5 per cent all-inclusive fee saved the country “tens of billions of naira.”

He added that tranches of the Abacha loot repatriated between 2017 and 2020 were distinct and administered under separate monitoring frameworks involving the World Bank, civil society groups and international partners.

Malami urged the public to disregard what he called “concocted allegations and coordinated misinformation,” expressing confidence that the issues would be resolved.

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