A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of unlawfully detaining him for more than 14 days and subjecting him to what he described as a “trial by media,” despite a court order granting him bail.
In a statement released on Wednesday by his media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami said the EFCC had refused to comply with a valid bail order issued by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, even after all bail conditions were reportedly met.
According to the statement, the FCT High Court on December 23, 2025, granted Malami interim bail after hearing submissions from both parties. The court reportedly held that the former Attorney-General satisfied the bail requirements and ordered his release pending further proceedings, with the matter adjourned to a later date in January.
Malami’s camp alleged, however, that EFCC officials declined to accept the bail documents when served and turned away the court bailiff, insisting on keeping him in custody despite the court’s directive.
The statement further claimed that Malami has now spent over two weeks in detention without being arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction, a situation his legal team described as unconstitutional and oppressive.
Beyond the issue of detention, Malami accused the anti-graft agency of engaging in selective media briefings intended to sway public opinion against him, describing the action as a deliberate attempt at a “media trial” following what he said was the agency’s failure to secure judicial backing.
“Court orders are not advisory; they are binding on all authorities,” the statement said, warning that selective compliance with judicial decisions poses a serious threat to the rule of law.
Malami reaffirmed his willingness to submit himself fully to due process and have any allegations against him determined by a competent court. However, he rejected what he termed “trial by detention, trial by media, and trial by political vendetta.”
The statement called on the judiciary and relevant oversight bodies to urgently address the alleged contempt of court and ensure accountability.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not responded to the allegations. Efforts to obtain comments from the commission were unsuccessful, Hobnob News reports.
