…declares agency’s action ’political intimidation’
Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on Tuesday, expressed concern over what he called politically motivated actions after his properties were raided by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
On Monday, EFCC operatives marked an Abuja property linked to the former minister following an interim forfeiture order granted by a court.
In a two-minute video, which earlier went viral, Malami was seen questioning the operatives over the legality of the action and demanding to see the court order authorising 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.
Malami said, “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.”
The former AGF expressed surprise at the manner in which the court’s previous order was executed, noting that the court had granted an order on January 6, 2026, related to the future of his properties.
Malami, who is also chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, stressed that he had complied with due 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.
He suggested that the raid and ongoing legal actions were politically motivated.
Malami 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.”
He also 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 stressed 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.
But the anti-graft agency stated that the action followed a valid interim forfeiture order granted by a court.
The commission’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, stated this in an interview with our correspondent on Monday, noting that the action was a normal law enforcement procedure.
Oyewale said the marking of the property was meant to notify members of the public about its status following a forfeiture order.
