The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has called on former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to submit himself to investigation and address allegations of corruption and abuse of office, rather than accusing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of bias and persecution.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, HEDA described Malami’s demand that the EFCC Chairman step aside from an ongoing probe as a diversionary tactic aimed at avoiding accountability. The organisation dismissed claims of vendetta and political persecution, insisting that the former minister should respond to the substantive allegations against him.
HEDA also criticised Malami for failing to release or gazette the report of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry during his tenure, despite repeated public calls for transparency after the panel concluded its work. According to the group, the continued secrecy surrounding the report raises serious concerns about the credibility of both the panel and the government that set it up.
The organisation noted that several individuals who were invited by, or allegedly indicted by, the Salami panel have since progressed in their careers. These include former EFCC Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu, who returned to the Nigeria Police Force, rose to the rank of Assistant Inspector General and retired honourably, and Barrister Rotimi Oyedepo, who later became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and now serves as a Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
HEDA argued that these developments reinforce public perception that the panel was targeted at specific individuals rather than aimed at genuine institutional reform. It identified Magu, Oyedepo and the current EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede—who served as Secretary to the commission at the time—as the main targets of Malami and the inquiry.
According to HEDA, the organisation’s 2023 petition led to Malami’s investigation and arrest, and it alleged that the Salami panel was used to victimise officials who resisted interference in EFCC operations and challenged the former Attorney-General’s actions, including the disposal of recovered assets and the issuance of asset management guidelines.
HEDA recalled that the Federal High Court in Lagos later nullified Malami’s asset management guidelines, declaring them illegal and void. The group questioned Malami’s reliance on a panel report that was never released or gazetted to support his current claims of persecution.
The organisation urged Malami to stop undermining anti-corruption institutions and allow lawful investigations to proceed, stressing that accountability must take precedence over political interests or personal grievances.
