The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has rejected claims that it targets opposition figures, stressing that its enforcement actions cut across political affiliations.
The anti-graft agency said its mandate is driven strictly by evidence and due process, not party loyalty.
Speaking during an exclusive interview on Channels Television, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede explained that the ongoing investigation involving a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has no political undertone. He emphasised that the case was inherited and not initiated under his leadership.
“Let me tell you about that particular former attorney-general that you are talking about—there is nothing personal in this matter. If Nigeria is to move forward, all of us must agree that this fight must be fought without being partisan, and that’s what I want Nigerians to understand and to agree with us,” Olukoyede stated during the programme aired on Sunday Politics.
Clarifying further, he said the probe predates his tenure and that public assumptions about political motivation are misplaced. “So now I want to tell Nigerians that the investigation of this man predated me in office, and a lot of people don’t know that. Yes, I edited the investigation file. What I did was to ensure that the investigation was carried out in a very professional and thorough manner.”
According to the EFCC chairman, Malami has been under investigation for nearly two and a half years, with the case file opened before he assumed office. He noted that since taking over, the commission has pursued the matter carefully to ensure all allegations are backed by strong evidence. “He has been under investigation for almost two and a half years. The file was opened not even under me. I inherited it, and for the past over two years I’ve been in office, we’ve been painstakingly carrying out the investigation, trying to establish some of these offenses and all of that,” he said.
Olukoyede maintained that the commission only proceeded when it was satisfied the case could stand legal scrutiny. “Not until I was convinced that we had a watertight case—and Nigerians are witnesses—so there’s nothing personal about it. I don’t understand the issue of persecution and all of that.”
The EFCC recently arraigned the former AGF alongside his wife and son on a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering. On January 7, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the defendants bail in the sum of ₦500 million, with two sureties required.
The court stipulated that the sureties must possess landed property in high-value areas including Asokoro, Maitama and Gwarinpa. Justice Nwite also directed the defendants to surrender their travel documents to the court as part of the bail conditions.
Ahead of the bail ruling, the African Democratic Congress in Kebbi State had criticised the EFCC, accusing the agency of witch-hunt and political victimisation in its handling of Malami’s case. The party argued that selective enforcement undermines public confidence in law enforcement institutions.
“In other words, as a law enforcement agency, the EFCC must not only enforce the law but must also be seen to enforce the law. But when a law enforcement agency is biased and selective, it presents a serious challenge to the country it is meant to serve,” the ADC alleged.
What you should know
The EFCC is Nigeria’s leading anti-corruption agency, responsible for investigating and prosecuting financial crimes such as money laundering and fraud.
Ola Olukoyede, its current chairman, has repeatedly insisted that the commission operates independently of political influence. Abubakar Malami served as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice under the previous administration and remains a prominent political figure.
The case has drawn national attention due to allegations of political bias, highlighting long-standing public debates about impartiality, accountability and transparency within Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework.
