Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of denying him the opportunity to fulfil bail conditions, describing the terms as stringent and difficult to meet.

His media aide, Muhammed Bello Doka, in a statement on Sunday said that the EFCC’s claims that Malami refused bail were misleading.
“Such conditions are intentionally used by EFCC to prolong his detention at the same time, saying he refused bail. From the onset, Malami was ready to comply with the bail, but the commission denied him the opportunity to do so,” Doka said. He further dismissed allegations that the former minister attempted to evade investigations, describing Malami as a law-abiding citizen who had never sought to avoid questioning.

Malami’s detention follows an administrative bail granted to him on 28 November 2025, pending the conclusion of investigations into alleged financial and administrative infractions during his tenure from 2015 to 2023. The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said Malami’s detention was lawful and driven by the failure to meet bail conditions.
“Administrative bail is a discretionary temporary reprieve that allows a suspect to be released on stated conditions pending the conclusion of investigation and arraignment in court,” Oyewale stated.

According to the EFCC, Malami was granted provisional bail subject to five conditions, none of which he had fulfilled at the time of his re-invitation. He had requested a deferment on health grounds, citing a letter dated 4 December 2025. The commission said it compassionately considered his plea but noted that he did not submit medical evidence to substantiate his claim. He was subsequently invited again on 8 December and detained after failing to satisfy the outstanding conditions.
Malami has also rejected EFCC claims that he operates 46 bank accounts and is linked to recovered funds traced to the late military ruler, General Sani Abacha.

Doka clarified that the former minister maintains only six accounts, all known to the commission. “The EFCC knows his six bank accounts that are to his name; the allegations of operating forty-six bank accounts are ridiculous and baseless, and for the record, the former minister has no hand in Abacha loot or any other recovery,” he said, challenging the agency to substantiate the claims publicly.

The former minister’s detention has drawn political reactions. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which Malami recently joined, accused the EFCC of politicising anti-corruption investigations. Atiku warned that the agency risked losing public confidence if perceived to be serving partisan interests, while the ADC noted that there was no evidence that Malami violated his bail conditions. Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, stated.

“From all available evidence, Malami did not violate any of the legal conditions attached to his initial bail. As a senior lawyer and former number one law officer in the country, he understands what it means to violate bail conditions.”
Responding, the EFCC reiterated that its actions were strictly investigative and not influenced by political affiliation.

Oyewale emphasised that Malami’s detention was in compliance with the conditions of administrative bail and necessary to conclude probes into allegations of money laundering, abuse of office, and terrorism financing.