Malami Clarifies EFCC Interview, Denies Terrorism Links
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has dismissed claims that his recent interaction with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was connected to terrorism financing or money laundering allegations.
In a statement issued by his media office on Wednesday, Malami insisted that his invitation by the anti-graft agency was solely to clarify issues surrounding an “alleged duplication” in the recovery of the Abacha loot.
“My engagement with the EFCC was strictly limited to addressing concerns about an alleged duplication of the recovery process. That was the only issue they sought clarification on,” Malami stated.
He described reports linking him to terrorism financing and ownership of multiple bank accounts as false, misleading and baseless.
He also added that no security, intelligence or law-enforcement agency in Nigeria or abroad has ever accused, investigated or questioned me over terrorism financing or multiple bank accounts”.
Malami explained that he was able to demonstrate to the EFCC that no duplication occurred in the recovery process, as the funds were not lodged into the Federation Account before 2016.
“I comprehensively demonstrated to the EFCC that no duplication occurred because the funds were not lodged into the Federation Account before 2016. There was no completed recovery at the time,” he said.
He further clarified that the Buhari administration rejected a proposal by Swiss lawyer Enrico Monfrini for a $5 million upfront fee and a success fee of up to 40 per cent, opting instead for Nigerian lawyers at a capped 5 per cent cost, a decision he claimed saved the country billions of naira.
Regarding the allegations of terrorism financing attributed to a retired military officer, Malami noted that “the retired officer has publicly clarified that he never accused me of funding terrorism, but his clarification was overshadowed by sensational reporting”.
He urged Nigerians to disregard what he termed a “coordinated smear campaign,” expressing confidence that “truth will prevail over political witch-hunt, misinformation and intimidation”.
This clarification comes after reports surfaced that the EFCC had detained the former minister for failing to meet bail conditions, with sources alleging investigations into multiple offences including money laundering and abuse of office.
