Staff members of the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, have alleged threat to their safety after operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) descended on their offices and private residences of Malami in Abuja and Kebbi State.
The unannounced raids, which targeted documents linked to Chapter 9 of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report, have been described by Malami’s office as “coordinated intimidation” and a direct response to a recent public call for the EFCC chairman’s recusal.
Malami’s office, in a press release, stated that the raids came “immediately after the release of our statement addressing Chapter 9 of the Salami Report.”
Signed by Malami’s Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, the statement said the actions raised “grave concerns about intimidation, retaliation, and the safety of our staff and of Abubakar Malami, SAN.
“We consider this development deeply alarming. Coming on the heels of a public call for the EFCC Chairman’s recusal on grounds of bias arising from Chapter 9, these raids raise grave concerns about intimidation, retaliation, and the safety of our staff and of Abubakar Malami, SAN.”
The office warned that any harm to its personnel or to Malami would be “solely attributable to this pattern of conduct.”
It also urged Nigerians and the media to question the timing and authority behind the searches, asking why the raids occurred immediately after the public reference to Chapter 9, what legal warrant justified the focus on that chapter, and why secrecy was preferred over due process.
In a broader appeal, the statement called on civil society organisations, professional bodies and human rights groups to pressure the federal government, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General to release the full Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report particularly Chapter 9 to promote transparency and public confidence.
Malami’s office reiterated that the former minister “remains committed to submitting himself to a neutral and lawful process before a court of competent jurisdiction” adding that “intimidation, raids, and media trials cannot substitute for due process.”
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