“Address your corruption allegations” – HEDA urges Malami

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has called on former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to undergo investigation and respond to accusations of corruption and abuse of power instead of distracting Nigerians with allegations of bias and persecution.

In a statement released by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the civil society group responded to Malami’s request for the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recuse himself from an investigation involving Malami, labeling his claims of bias and political vendetta as efforts to shift focus away from significant issues concerning the former Attorney General and Justice Minister.

Furthermore, HEDA highlighted that during Malami’s time as Attorney-General, he did not publish or acknowledge the findings of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry, despite public demands for transparency since the panel concluded its hearings. The anti-corruption group expressed concern that the ongoing secrecy of the report casts doubt on the legitimacy of both the panel and the government that established it.

The organization also noted that many individuals previously cited or invited by the Salami panel have continued to advance professionally.

“Notable figures such as Ibrahim Magu, former Acting Chairman of the EFCC, returned to the Nigeria Police Force, achieving the rank of Assistant Inspector General before retiring honorably. Similarly, Barr. Rotimi Oyedepo became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and is currently a Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Suraju observed.

According to HEDA, these events reinforce the public belief that the panel was aimed at specific individuals rather than promoting legitimate institutional reforms. The group identified Ibrahim Magu, Rotimi Oyedepo, and current EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, who served as the panel’s Secretary, as primary targets of Malami’s inquiries.

HEDA, the organization that initiated the 2023 petition leading to the investigation and arrest of Malami, alleged that the Salami panel was intended to target the trio: Magu for resisting Malami’s interference in EFCC cases, Oyedepo for opposing the misuse of prosecutorial power through a nolle prosequi in a case involving the EFCC under the Lagos Attorney General’s fiat, and Olukoyede for contesting Malami’s illegal actions regarding the management of recovered assets. The Federal High Court in Lagos previously agreed with HEDA, deeming Malami’s asset management guidelines illegal and void.

The organization argued that the panel’s report was never released following the removal of these individuals, which undermines Malami’s current reliance on this process to substantiate his persecution claims.

HEDA urged Malami to cease undermining anti-corruption agencies and to permit lawful investigations to continue, emphasizing that accountability should take precedence over political interests or personal issues.