Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has clarified that he has no personal grudge against Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney-General of the Federation.
In an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, Olukoyede said he inherited the investigation files concerning Malami, who was arraigned in December 2025 at the Federal High Court in Abuja on 16-count charges related to money laundering. Malami’s wife, Bashir Asabe, and son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, were also arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
Malami had previously alleged that the investigation and his threatened prosecution were politically motivated following his defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and requested that Olukoyede recuse himself, citing an alleged indictment of the EFCC chairman by the Ayo Salami judicial commission.
Responding to these claims, Olukoyede emphasized the professionalism of the investigation, noting that it predated his tenure. He stressed that the alleged offences have been thoroughly examined, and there is nothing personal in the matter.
“We carried out our investigation in the most professional way. Let me tell you about that particular former attorney-general that you are talking about. There is nothing personal in this matter… The file was opened in the previous EFCC administration. For the past two years I have been painstakingly carrying out investigation to establish some of the offences. Those who claimed I was indicted by the Justice Ayo Salami panel, the onus is on them to publish the report for people to see,” Olukoyede said.
The EFCC chairman reiterated the need for non-partisan enforcement of anti-corruption measures, underscoring that Nigeria’s progress requires impartial application of the law.
