Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of ignoring a valid court order granting him bail, alleging that the anti graft agency is unlawfully continuing his detention.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami said the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja granted him bail on December 23, 2025, and that the EFCC was duly served with the court order but has refused to comply.
According to the statement, officials of the commission allegedly rejected the bail documents presented by a court bailiff and insisted on keeping Malami in custody, an action his office described as open contempt of court.
“The EFCC has chosen to place itself above the courts, treating binding judicial orders with open disdain,” the statement said.
It added that such conduct amounts to a violation of the Constitution and a direct assault on the rule of law.
Malami further alleged that he has been detained for more than 14 days without being arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction, a situation he described as illegal, oppressive, and a breach of his fundamental rights.
Beyond the issue of detention, the former minister accused the EFCC of engaging in selective media briefings aimed at damaging his reputation and shaping public opinion against him.
“This deliberate media trial is an abuse of power intended to secure public condemnation after failing to obtain judicial backing,” the statement added.
Malami maintained that he remains ready to submit himself to due process and to have any allegations against him tested in court, but rejected what he described as trial by detention, trial by media, and trial by political vendetta.
He called on the judiciary to urgently take notice of what he described as contemptuous conduct, urged relevant oversight bodies to hold the EFCC accountable, and appealed to Nigerians to resist actions that could set a dangerous precedent for democratic governance.
“No agency, no matter how powerful, is above the law,” the statement concluded.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations.
