Court rejects ex-AGF, Malami’s bail plea

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, yesterday, dismissed an application seeking to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to release former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, from its custody.

Malami, who has spent about 10 days in detention, is under investigation over multiple allegations, including alleged financial impropriety involving recovered loot and reported links to terrorist financing.

Although Malami was granted administrative bail by the EFCC on November 28, he was detained again on December 8 after reporting for further interrogation.

He claimed his bail was arbitrarily revoked after attending a political rally in his home state, Kebbi. The EFCC, however, countered that he failed to meet the bail conditions.

Seeking his release, Malami, through his legal team led by Dr. Sulaiman Hassan, SAN, approached the court to assert that his continued detention was unlawful and unconstitutional, praying the court to enforce his fundamental human rights.

The EFCC, represented by Chief Jubrin Okutepa, SAN, opposed the application, arguing that Malami’s detention was in accordance with a valid court order issued by Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the FCT High Court.

The agency emphasised that it adheres to the constitutionally permitted detention timeframe.
Presiding Justice Babangida Hassan ruled that Malami’s application lacked merit, stating that no evidence was presented to prove illegal detention.

The court noted that granting the application would amount to acting as an appellate court over a coordinate jurisdiction, which it has no authority to do.

Malami, accused of operating suspicious bank accounts, had previously claimed that his ordeal was politically motivated, linking it to his membership in opposition political coalitions and an earlier investigation during his tenure as AGF, which he said implicated the current EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

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