By Muhammad Mamman
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, Ola Olukoyede, has said that a probe involving former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was initiated before he assumed office.
Olukoyede made the clarification while responding to public speculation linking the investigation to his leadership of the anti-graft agency. He stressed that the inquiry did not begin under his watch, dismissing suggestions of personal or political motives.
“Malami was under probe before I became EFCC chairman,” Olukoyede said, underscoring that the investigation followed due process and institutional procedures already in place.
The EFCC boss explained that the Commission operates as an independent institution guided by evidence and the law, not by the identity of its leadership or external pressures.
His comments come amid renewed public attention on high-profile corruption investigations and concerns about selective prosecution. Olukoyede insisted that all cases handled by the EFCC are driven by facts and legal standards.
Abubakar Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023. He has previously denied wrongdoing in matters linked to his time in office.
The EFCC has not disclosed further details of the investigation, citing the need to protect the integrity of ongoing processes.
