Malami spends night in EFCC custody as probe deepens, 46 bank accounts under scrutiny

Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, spent Monday night at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as interrogations intensified over an ongoing investigation.

A close associate of the former minister told TheCable that Malami was invited for questioning on Monday but arrived late in the evening, prompting investigators to keep him overnight so he could continue responding to their queries.

The associate further revealed that 46 bank accounts allegedly linked to Malami are now under scrutiny and form a significant part of the EFCC’s probe.

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Malami is expected to report to the EFCC daily as investigations progress.

Following an earlier round of questioning on November 29, the former AGF wrote on X that the session “was successful” and that he had been scheduled for “further engagement” with investigators. “The engagement was successful, and I am eventually released while on an appointment for further engagement as the truth relating to the fabricated allegations against me continue to unfold,” he posted.

His name has featured prominently in several controversial deals under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Among them is the mysterious payment of $496 million to Global Steel Holdings Ltd (GSHL) as settlement for the termination of the Ajaokuta Steel concession — nearly a decade after the Indian firm had waived its claim to compensation.

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Also under scrutiny is Malami’s role in the sale of assets worth billions of naira forfeited to the EFCC by politically exposed persons, as well as his involvement in the controversial $419 million judgment debt awarded to consultants who claimed to have assisted states in securing Paris Club refunds.

Other contentious issues include the agreement to pay Sunrise Power $200 million compensation in its dispute with the federal government over the Mambilla power project and the duplicated legal fees related to the repatriation of $321 million Abacha loot from Switzerland.

Meanwhile, on November 17, Malami announced his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Kebbi State. He resigned from the APC in July and defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).