EFCC Detains Malami for a Third Night

The former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will spend a third night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This extended detention is due to his failure to meet the bail conditions established by the investigators.

Malami, who is being investigated by the EFCC over allegation of terrorism financing and operating 46 bank accounts, has, meanwhile, dismissing them as politically driven fabrications aimed at damaging his reputation.

The conditions include the seizure of his international passport, effectively preventing him from travelling out of the country, and a directive that he report daily to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja for questioning over a specified period, initially fixed at 30 days. He is also expected to present two serving permanent secretaries as sureties among other conditions set by the investigating team.

The denials were contained in a statement by his Media Assistant, Mohammed Doka, who maintained that the allegations making the rounds were false, mischievous and unsupported by any official documents.

Doka stressed that Malami had never been investigated for terrorism financing by the EFCC or any security or intelligence agency within or outside Nigeria.’We state without equivocation that there is no allegation, investigation or charge of terrorism financing against Malami, SAN, by the EFCC or by any other security, intelligence or law-enforcement agency, whether in Nigeria or abroad’, Doka said.

He added that claims suggesting the former minister operated 46 bank accounts were nothing more than fiction amplified by sensational media narratives rather than evidence.

‘Similarly, claims suggesting that Mr. Malami operates or controls “46 bank accounts” are entirely fictitious, unsupported by facts, official records or lawful findings, and merely form part of a coordinated media trial aimed at character assassination.

‘At no time has Mr. Malami been questioned, investigated or confronted with issues relating to terrorism financing or any alleged multiple bank accounts. Even the retired military officer cited in recent reports explicitly clarified that he never accused Mr Malami of financing terrorism’.

‘Mr Malami’s public service record directly contradicts such insinuations. During his tenure as Attorney-General, he played a leading role in strengthening Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) framework, including the establishment of an independent Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)’.

‘We urge Nigerians of goodwill to disregard the concocted allegations, sensational reporting and ongoing media trial designed to malign the person and record of Malami.

‘We sincerely thank all right-thinking Nigerians for their concern, prayers, support and steadfast confidence. Your messages of encouragement reaffirm our belief that truth, law and reason will always prevail.

‘We remain confident that Malami, SAN, will emerge stronger and better, and that together, we shall triumph against all forms of political witch-hunt, misinformation and intimidation’, he added.