Ex-AGF Malami Speaks From EFCC Custody After Spending 4th Night in Detention
- Former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami spent his fourth night in EFCC custody after failing to meet bail conditions.
- He denied allegations linking him to terrorism financing and the operation of 46 bank accounts.
- Malami told investigators that claims of duplicated Abacha loot recovery processes were false and inconsistent with facts.
Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has spent his fourth consecutive night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Legit.ng reports that Malami has remained in detention since Monday after he failed to meet the bail conditions set by the anti-graft agency.
Source: Twitter
Top EFCC officials, who spoke to the PUNCH on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed on Thursday that the former AGF was still in custody.
One of the sources said:
“He is still here with us. He has been in custody since Monday because he has not met his bail conditions.”
Malami denies terrorism financing
Meanwhile, Malami has rejected allegations linking him to terrorism financing and claims that he maintained 46 bank accounts during his tenure.
He described the reports as false, baseless and part of a coordinated media trial.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, the former AGF said no Nigerian or foreign security agency had ever accused or investigated him for terrorism financing.
“There is no allegation, investigation or charge of terrorism financing against Abubakar Malami, SAN. Claims about ‘46 bank accounts’ are entirely fictitious and unsupported by any official record,” he said.
He also noted that a retired military officer who was earlier quoted in media reports had since publicly denied accusing him of funding terrorism.
Ex-AGF explains issues around Abacha loot recovery
Malami disclosed that his interrogation at the EFCC focused on allegations of duplicated processes in the recovery of the Abacha loot. According to him, those claims were misleading.
He said no recovery process had been concluded before 2016, making it impossible for his administration to have duplicated any work.
Source: Depositphotos
The former minister also dismissed speculation surrounding a Swiss lawyer allegedly involved in the loot recovery. He explained that the lawyer reapplied for engagement in 2016 and demanded 40 per cent in professional fees, an offer rejected because the Buhari administration capped fees at 5 per cent.
He added that engaging Nigerian lawyers at a 5 per cent all-inclusive rate saved the country tens of billions of naira.
Malami further clarified that the tranches of Abacha loot repatriated between 2017 and 2020 were separate, each managed under its own monitoring and utilisation framework involving the World Bank, civil society groups and international partners.
He urged Nigerians to disregard what he described as concocted allegations and coordinated misinformation, expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved.
EFCC declares former Buhari minister wanted
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Timipre Sylva, a former Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, and former Governor of Bayelsa State, wanted.
The EFCC said Sylva is wanted over an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
According to the EFCC, the money is "part of funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a Refinery".
Source: Legit.ng
