The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken former Justice Minister Abubakar Malami into custody after he failed to meet the conditions set for his bail.
This development was confirmed by an EFCC source, who indicated that Mr. Malami remained “in custody” until 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday due to his inability to fulfill the bail requirement.
The anti-graft agency is demanding that the former minister clear himself of several serious allegations, primarily focusing on money laundering, especially the running of “suspicious accounts.”
According to the EFCC source, his detention is specifically linked to an investigation into “terrorism financing, and the whereabouts of Abacha loot recovered from Switzerland and the Island of Jersey in the UK.”
The source stressed that the former minister “would remain in custody until he fulfils the requirements.”
The EFCC source provided multiple quoted statements to emphasize the severity and scope of the investigation.
The official clarified that the former minister’s current situation is due to non-compliance with his bail terms, stating: “We arrested him for not meeting his bail conditions, and he will remain in our custody until he meets those conditions. He is presently in our custody. He was initially granted bail but did not meet the conditions. The offences against him are many.”
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The commission had also requested the former minister to appear for daily questioning throughout December.
The source further disclosed the breadth of the charges, saying: “Presently, we are investigating him for 18 different offences. Some of them are money laundering, abuse of office and terrorism financing. We cannot put a figure to the amount involved now because we keep uncovering some of the deals as we investigate.”
In response to these allegations, Mr. Malami firmly insisted that the claims against him were “fabricated.” He defended his record, offering two specific quoted statements in his defense.
Regarding the terrorism financing allegations, he said: “For the avoidance of doubt, my public record in office stands in direct contradiction to any insinuation of complicity in terrorism financing.”
Furthermore, he highlighted his work in office, stating that: “During my tenure as attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, I worked with other arms of government and relevant institutions to strengthen—not weaken—Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.”
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