Detained former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Chika Malami, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of denying him the opportunity to perfect his bail, describing the conditions attached to his release as excessively stringent and deliberately unattainable.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Muhammed Bello Doka, Malami dismissed claims by the anti-graft agency that he had refused to meet his bail conditions, insisting that the commission was deliberately frustrating the process to keep him in detention.
According to the statement, the bail conditions were crafted in a manner that makes compliance nearly impossible, particularly the requirement involving federal permanent secretaries who are reportedly under investigation.
“Such conditions are intentionally used by the EFCC to prolong his detention, while at the same time claiming he refused bail,” the statement read. “From the onset, Malami was ready to comply with the bail conditions, but the commission denied him the opportunity to do so.”
The former attorney general also refuted allegations that he was attempting to evade investigation, stressing that he is a law-abiding citizen who has never sought to obstruct or avoid the investigative process.
The statement urged the EFCC to adopt what it described as more realistic and attainable bail conditions, and to refrain from using the media to suggest that Malami deliberately turned down bail.
Malami’s camp reiterated its call on the commission to allow him access to a fair and transparent bail process in line with the rule of law.
