Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), was grilled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday over multiple allegations, SaharaReporters has confirmed. He was later granted bail after fulfilling the commission’s conditions.
Multiple senior sources told Sandarddailypress that Malami spent several hours at the EFCC headquarters and almost remained in custody overnight as he struggled to meet the bail requirements.
One source disclosed late Friday night that the former AGF was “looking for two permanent secretaries for his bail conditions.”
Another source confirmed on Saturday morning that Malami eventually secured bail after providing “two top-level civil servants” as sureties.
Malami Acknowledged EFCC Invitation Publicly
Earlier on Friday, Malami had publicly announced via his Facebook page that the EFCC had invited him to clarify “certain issues.” He said he was prepared to honour the summons as a “law-abiding citizen.”
He wrote:
“EFCC has invited me to clarify some issues, and as a patriot, I am willing to honour this invitation without hesitation.”
Malami also described honesty, integrity and accountability as principles that had guided his career in public office.
Longstanding Controversies Resurface
Although the former AGF has never been formally charged, he has repeatedly faced allegations of corruption, abuse of office and questionable approvals during his time in government.
SaharaReporters has previously detailed concerns surrounding questionable legal fees, backdoor deals and conflicting claims involving major national payouts.
One major issue involves Dr. Ted Iseghahi Edwards, who the EFCC previously indicted for allegedly attempting to defraud the government. Documents showed that Edwards did not represent the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the Paris Club refund case, contrary to his claims.
A 2018 letter from former EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu to the Ministry of Justice directly indicted Edwards.
Despite this, sources told SaharaReporters that Malami persuaded former President Muhammadu Buhari to approve $159 million as legal fees to Edwards and further authorised the Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office to release promissory notes.
Multiple Stakeholders Challenge Payments
According to insiders, ALGON, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, and Joe Agi (SAN)—the actual lead counsel—have since gone to court to challenge the disbursement of the controversial $418 million in promissory notes.
Sources alleged that Malami and former Chief of Staff Ibrahim Gambari “misled” President Buhari into approving the payments despite clear warnings from EFCC investigations.
One source said:
“If independent reviewers look through the entire file, the fraud being alleged will be obvious. Nigeria risks huge financial losses unless this is stopped.”
What Happens Next?
Malami’s interrogation marks one of the most significant steps taken by the EFCC regarding long-standing allegations linked to his tenure. Though he has maintained his innocence, the development suggests that investigations around the Paris Club refunds and related legal fees are far from over.
The EFCC has not yet issued a formal statement on the outcome of Friday’s questioning.