The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre has urged Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, to submit himself to investigation over allegations of corruption and abuse of office instead of “distracting Nigerians with unfounded claims of bias and persecution” against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement on Sunday signed by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, HEDA dismissed Malami’s call for the EFCC chairman to step aside from an investigation involving him, describing the allegation of vendetta as an attempt to divert attention from substantive corruption claims.
The anti-corruption group said Malami’s position was undermined by his failure, while in office, to release or gazette the report of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry, despite repeated public demands after the panel concluded its sittings.
According to HEDA, the continued secrecy surrounding the report raises serious questions about the credibility of both the panel and the administration that constituted it.
The organisation noted that several individuals allegedly investigated or invited by the Salami panel have since advanced in their careers, reinforcing public suspicion that the probe was targeted rather than driven by genuine institutional reform.
Suraju cited the case of Ibrahim Magu, former acting EFCC chairman, who returned to the Nigeria Police Force, rose to the rank of assistant inspector-general and retired honourably. He also referenced Rotimi Oyedepo, who later became a senior advocate of Nigeria and currently serves as a special adviser to President Bola Tinubu.
HEDA identified Magu, Oyedepo and the current EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who served as secretary to the commission at the time, as the principal targets of Malami and the Salami panel.
The group, which said it submitted the 2023 petition that led to Malami’s investigation and arrest, alleged that the panel was used to punish officials who resisted interference in EFCC operations and challenged the former minister’s handling of recovered assets.
HEDA further recalled that the Federal High Court in Lagos had declared Malami’s asset management guidelines illegal, null and void, adding that the failure to release the Salami panel report after the removal of its alleged targets weakens Malami’s reliance on the same process to support 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 and personal grievances.
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