Eshioromeh Sebastian
Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of “brazen lawlessness” for refusing to release him from custody despite a court order granting him bail.
The development follows a ruling by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, which on Tuesday admitted Mr. Malami to bail on conditions his legal team says were immediately fulfilled.
Officials from Mr. Malami’s office allege that when served with the court order, EFCC operatives refused to accept the documentation, chased away the court bailiff, and insisted on his continued detention.
“This conduct represents nothing short of institutional lawlessness,” read a press statement issued by Mr. Malami’s media office. “The EFCC, an agency created by statute and bound by the Constitution, has chosen to elevate itself above the courts, treating binding judicial orders with open disdain.”
The standoff occurs against the backdrop of a significant legal escalation. Just hours after the bail ruling, the Federal Government filed a 16-count criminal charge against Mr. Malami, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Bashir Asabe, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, allege conspiracy and money laundering involving billions of naira. The prosecution accuses the defendants of disguising the illicit origin of funds through a series of high-value property purchases and corporate transactions between 2018 and 2025, a period covering much of Mr. Malami’s tenure as the nation’s chief law officer.
Specific allegations include using a company, Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited, to conceal over N1.6 billion, disguising the source of N500 million used to purchase a luxury duplex on Amazon Street in Maitama, Abuja, and concealing the origins of funds linked to hotel properties in Garki and Jabi District, Abuja. The alleged offences contravene the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Despite the filing of these serious charges, Mr. Malami’s legal team contends his current detention remains unlawful. They argue that the initial legal basis for holding him was a separate High Court order permitting a maximum 14-day detention for investigations. That order expired on Tuesday, 23 December.
His office insists the EFCC was legally obligated to either release him or arraign him before a court on that day, irrespective of the subsequent filing of charges. The failure to do so, they claim, renders his detention unconstitutional and oppressive.
“The EFCC’s deliberate inaction is a damning confirmation of its vendetta, blatant disregard for the rule of law, and its dangerous descent into tyranny and abuse of power,” the statement from his office asserted.
The press release further accused the anti-graft agency of conducting an “orchestrated media trial,” selectively leaking information to prejudice public opinion. “When an anti-corruption agency begins to disobey court orders, detain citizens indefinitely, and weaponize the media, it ceases to be an instrument of justice and becomes a threat to democracy itself,” the statement warned.
The former minister’s office stated that while he is prepared to answer the new charges in a court of law, he rejects what he terms “trial by detention” and “trial by media.”
The statement called on the judiciary to take notice of the alleged contempt, urged relevant oversight bodies to intervene, and appealed to the public to condemn the actions of the Commission.
“No agency, no matter how powerful, is above the law,” the statement concluded.
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