Malami was under probe before I became EFCC chair — Olukoyede

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has dismissed claims that former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, was being politically witch-hunted.

He insisted that investigations against Malami began long before his appointment.

Olukoyede spoke on Sunday on Channels Television’s Politics Today amid growing controversy over the EFCC’s investigation of Malami and a court-ordered interim forfeiture of properties allegedly linked to the former minister and his family.

Responding to allegations that he was selectively targeting Malami, the EFCC boss said the probe was neither personal nor politically motivated, stressing that he merely inherited an ongoing investigation.

“I’m yet to see the facts he wants to bring out to buttress that claim, if he actually said that. I don’t understand. We carry out our investigation in the most professional way.

“There is nothing personal in this matter. If Nigeria is to move forward, all of us must agree that this fight must be fought without being partisan.

“And that’s what I want Nigerians to understand and to agree with us. The investigation of this man predated me in the office. A lot of you don’t know that. Yes! I inherited the investigation file,” Olukoyede said.

He explained that the case had been under investigation for nearly two and a half years, adding that charges were only considered after investigators were satisfied that the evidence was solid.

“What I did was to ensure that the investigation was carried out in a very professional and thorough manner. It has been under investigation for almost two and a half years. That file was opened long before me. I inherited it.

“For the past two years that I’ve been in the office, we’ve been painstakingly carrying out the investigation, trying to establish some of these offences and all of that. Not until I was convinced that we had a watertight case.

“So there is nothing personal about it. I don’t understand the issue of persecution and all of that. There is nothing personal about it,” he added.

Olukoyede also addressed Malami’s allegation that the EFCC chairman was acting out of vendetta because the former minister allegedly played a role in setting up the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel, which he claimed indicted Olukoyede.

“Let me put this matter to rest once and for all. Now, those who claim I was fraudulently or criminally indicted by the panel, the onus is on them to publish the report for people to see,” he said.

The EFCC chair noted that the panel was set up in 2020 and concluded its assignment in early 2021, while Malami remained Attorney-General until 2023.

“Don’t forget that this panel was set up in 2020, and I think they rounded off their activities in early 2021.

“And between 2021 and 2023, when the new government came to office, the former attorney general was in office. I am very sure he had access to the report. Why was the report not published for two years, while he was in the office? Why was it that after an investigation was opened and charges were about to be filed, he now came to the public to say it was persecution because of the report of the panel?” he queried.

Olukoyede said he had never seen the panel’s report and could not comment on its contents.

“For me, I’ve not seen the report of the panel. I won’t speak to what I cannot lay my hands on. That’s number one. Secondly, about the work of the panel, I think this is an opportunity for me to put this thing to rest,” he said.

Giving an account of his interaction with the panel, Olukoyede explained that he was not the subject of the probe and only appeared as part of a wider fact-finding exercise.

“Nigerians knew that it was the former acting chairman who was the subject of that investigation. But in the course of the investigation, they felt they needed to take statements or to seek clarification from other members of staff. Of course, at that time, I was the secretary to the commission.

“So I was invited. Not only me, but quite a few directors, I think about seven or eight of them were invited. Some management staff, including middle and lower cadres, were also invited, and we went to the panel,” he said.

Olukoyede added that he appeared before the panel twice, where he explained the statutory mandate of the commission, and was later informed that he would be contacted if further clarification was required.