Court Rejects Malami’s Bail Application
A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has dismissed a bail application by former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Babangida Hassan, presiding over the case, ruled on Thursday that Malami’s detention is lawful and supported by a valid court order.
Meanwhile, former South-East spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has urged Malami to cooperate with the EFCC investigation instead of demanding the recusal of its chairman.
Speaking from Paris, France, Onoh responded to Malami’s call for EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede to step aside from the probe, citing alleged conflicts linked to the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report. He argued that the report does not prevent the EFCC from investigating former public officials and emphasized that requests for recusal must adhere strictly to the law and principles of fairness.
Onoh stressed that the EFCC operates under statutory authority to investigate economic and financial crimes without bias, noting that the Salami Panel was intended to strengthen accountability, not provide immunity for any individual.
He also highlighted Malami’s past actions as Attorney-General, including overseeing high-profile prosecutions widely criticized as politically motivated, which involved defiance of court orders and prolonged detentions.
“It is the height of hypocrisy for former AGF Abubakar Malami to now accuse the EFCC of ‘personal vendetta’ when he himself led a campaign to remove former EFCC Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu in 2020,” Onoh said.
He recalled that Malami drafted memos to then-President Muhammadu Buhari levelling over 22 allegations against Magu, including diversion of recovered funds and gross misconduct, and refused to appear before the Salami Panel, denying Magu the chance to confront his accuser. Critics described this as a “grudge war” leveraging Malami’s influence.
Onoh added that Magu was never prosecuted or convicted, yet his career was effectively ended, exemplifying the type of vendetta Malami now attributes to the current EFCC leadership.
He also cited Malami’s role in the prolonged detention of former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki, despite court orders granting bail, as evidence of the former AGF’s disregard for the rule of law to settle political scores.
Onoh concluded that Malami cannot now seek special treatment or call for recusal simply because he faces accountability.
