Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, (SAN) has raised alarm over what he believes are politically driven steps taken by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after raiding his residences.
Chronicle NG reports that EFCC operatives, on Monday, marked an Abuja property linked to the former minister following an interim forfeiture order granted by a court.
In a two-minute video, Malami was seen questioning the operatives over the legality of the action and demanding to see the court order authorizing the marking of his house.
Reacting to the development in an interview with reporters on Monday, Malami described the EFCC raid as intimidating and unnecessary.
“There were personnel that were fully kitted, fully armed, and very intimidating, harassing my immediate family members under the pretext that they came to serve letters of invitation.
“So letters were eventually served, not only at the house where they found me, but also at my other multiple houses and business premises,” he said.
Malami expressed amazement at how the court’s prior order was carried out, stating that the court had granted an injunction on January 6, 2026, regarding the future of his assets.
The African Democratic Congress chieftain insisted that he had followed proper process.
“To my knowledge, there was indeed a court order for the entry into my properties, but my person was given 14 days within which to respond. We have responded, joined issues before the court, and filed an application to have the order set aside,” he said.
Malami believed that the raid and subsequent legal action were politically motivated.
He said, “The insinuations associated with this unfolding drama honestly point to a clear direction of political motivation.
“A lot of people have come to show solidarity, arising from the view that the undertones of my detention in custody for over 99 days—contrary to the constitutionally tolerated 48 hours for those charged to court—were arbitrary and point to political intimidation.”
Furthermore, he highlighted the timing of the raid, which coincided with visits from prominent figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“Among the people who paid a courtesy and solidarity visit to my house today, the 23rd of March, were notable personalities, and shortly thereafter, the EFCC invaded my premises. This points to a possible calculation that the actions were politically motivated,” he said.
The former minister emphasized his determination to pursue his constitutional rights despite the intimidation.
“The right to vote and be voted for is constitutional. I am a Nigerian, equally entitled to the enjoyment of those privileges.
“The idea of reconsidering my ambition associated with governorship is not on the table. It’s constitutional, and I will certainly exercise my constitutional right over it,” Malami said.
However, the commission maintained that the action was carried out in accordance with a legal interim forfeiture order issued by a court.
Dele Oyewale, the commission’s spokesman, acknowledged this in an interview with our correspondent on Monday, emphasizing that the action was a standard law enforcement process.
Oyewale stated that the property was marked to notify the public of its status following a forfeiture order.
