By Yahaya Umar, Abuja
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, operatives have conducted an early morning raid on the home of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami ,SAN.
AljazirahNigeria gathered that the EFCC operatives arrived Malami’s home located in the Gwarimpa area of Abuja Metropolis before dawn.
Sources alleged that the EFCC operatives in their bid to enter the residence “beat up security guards” at the gate of the magnificent estate where the embattled former AGF’s home is located.
The guards it was gathered incurred the wrought of the EFCC team by questioning their mission in the elitist estate.
The Commission’s operatives whose number could not be ascertained according to sources spent hours inside Malami’s residence apparently in search of documents amid ongoing corruption allegations probe of the immediate past AGF.
AljazirahNigeria could not also ascertained documents or any item allegedly seized by EFCC operatives involved in the operation.
However, confirming the raid yesterday, Malami, alleged that his offices and residences in Abuja as well as Kebbi home have been raided by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
In a statement issued and and signed by the Special Assistant on Media to
Abubakar Malami, Mohammed Bello Doka, the former AGF linked the raid to his recent reference to the Salami report, saying it occurred raids occurred immediately after Malami’s a public statement referencing Chapter 9 of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report.
According to the statement, the EFCC operatives allegedly targeted documents related to that chapter, without prior notice.
Besides, it described the action of the EFCC as “deeply alarming”, noting that the raid amount to intimidation and retaliation, following Malami’s call for the EFCC chairman’s recusal from his ongoing probe due to alleged bias stemming from the Salami Report.
Chapter 9 of the Salami report contains findings implicating senior EFCC officials, including the current Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, who served as secretary to the panel.
“We hereby place Nigerians and the international community on notice that any harm to our personnel or to Abubakar Malami, SAN, will be solely attributable to this pattern of conduct”, the statement read.
In this vein, Malami’s office urged the media and the public to question the timing and justification of the raids, as well as the long-standing contention over Chapter 9. It called on the civil society, professional bodies and human rights groups to demand the full release of the Salami report for transparency.
Malami said Chapter 9 of the report shows a clear conflict of interest that makes the EFCC chairman’s continued involvement in matters relating to him untenable.
Malami, who has been under scrutiny by the EFCC in respect of some bank accounts, assets and payments of judgement debts, among other things had previously alleged political motivation and conflict of interest in the probe.
According to the statement the Office of Abubakar Malami, SAN, issued the follow-up statement to explain, with clarity and restraint, why the continued involvement of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in matters relating to Abubakar Malami, SAN, is legally untenable, morally indefensible and constitutionally impermissible.
“This statement is focused squarely on Chapter 9 of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report and how the unresolved implications of that chapter have now crystallised into what can only be described as a personal vendetta masquerading as law enforcement”.
