…‘This isn’t politics, you never met bail conditions’ — EFCC slams Malami

Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has rejected allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that he operates 46 bank accounts and has links to recovered funds traced to the late military ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha.

Malami’s response came as the EFCC insisted that his continued detention and investigation were based solely on unmet bail conditions and ongoing financial probes, dismissing claims of political persecution.

Speaking on behalf of the former minister, his media aide, Bello Doka, said the allegations were unfounded, stressing that Malami maintains only six bank accounts, all of which are known to the anti-graft agency.

“The EFCC knows his six bank accounts that are to his name; the allegations of operating six unlawful forty-six bank accounts are ridiculous and baseless, and for the record, the former minister has no hand in Abacha loot or any other recovery,” Doka said.

He added that Malami was not formally confronted with claims of operating 46 accounts during his interrogation and challenged the commission to substantiate its position publicly.

“Let them publish at least 23 accounts out of the so-called 46, representing 50 per cent of the alleged bank accounts,” he said, arguing that media statements alone were insufficient proof of wrongdoing.
Doka said Malami would continue to cooperate with investigators, while thanking supporters for standing by him amid the controversy.

The denial came against the backdrop of rising political reactions to Malami’s detention. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress, which Malami recently joined after leaving the All Progressives Congress, accused the EFCC of weaponising anti-corruption investigations for political ends.

In a statement issued by his media office, Atiku said the agency risked losing public confidence if it failed to “purge itself of partisan contamination”, warning that the anti-graft campaign was being perceived as a “political witch-hunt”.
He claimed the EFCC is “straying far from the noble principles” on which it was founded, alleging that the agency is now “weaponising its powers to serve narrow political agendas.”

He said, “The politicisation of corruption investigations has rendered the EFCC’s credibility suspect and rubbished the very ideals that inspired its establishment.”

The ADC also questioned the timing of Malami’s detention, linking it to his recent participation in political activities in Kebbi State, where he has declared interest in the 2027 governorship election. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said there was no evidence that Malami violated any bail conditions.

“From all available evidence, Malami did not violate any of the legal conditions attached to his initial bail,” Abdullahi said. “As a senior lawyer and former number one law officer in the country, he understands what it means to violate bail conditions.”

Responding, the EFCC restated that its actions had nothing to do with politics. In a statement signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the commission said Malami was granted provisional administrative bail on November 28, 2025, subject to five conditions, none of which had been fulfilled.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, though not disposed to joining issues with respect to its operations in the media, is compelled to respond to the patently false claims of a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), about a purported revocation of his bail over attendance at a political gathering in Kebbi,” Oyewale said.

He explained that administrative bail is discretionary and temporary, pending the conclusion of investigations and possible arraignment. According to the EFCC, Malami was expected to report back on December 1, 2025, but requested an adjournment on health grounds in a letter dated December 4.

“The Commission compassionately granted his plea, even while his bail conditions had not been met,” Oyewale said.
The EFCC maintained that Malami’s detention was lawful and investigation-driven, adding that the commission remained apolitical and focused on concluding its probe into allegations, including money laundering, abuse of office and terrorism financing.

The President urged the former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority to be magnanimous in victory by embracing all party leaders and former aspirants.

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated a former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji, on his emergence as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2026 Osun State governorship election.

This was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday.

President Tinubu also praised the state chapter of the APC for the unity and spirit of reconciliation that preceded and also characterised the primary election conducted through affirmation.

He commended all the aspirants who graciously stepped down in favour of Oyebamiji, demonstrating party loyalty and a collective commitment to the APC’s ideals.

The President urges the former NIWA MD to be magnanimous in victory by embracing all party leaders and former aspirants.

He also urged him to ensure inclusivity and cohesion as the party moves forward in the political process.

“The journey to reclaim Osun State for the progressive fold in the 2026 governorship election has begun.

“I urge all members and leaders of APC in the state to remain focused, united, and resolute. Victory is achievable, and together, we will succeed,” the President was quoted as saying.

Oyebamiji was declared the winner of the party’s primary election held on Saturday.

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, chaired the primary election in Osogbo, where party delegates unanimously affirmed Oyebamiji’s candidature, according to the presidential statement.

Two American troops and a civilian interpreter were killed in central Syria on Saturday after an alleged member of the Islamic State group opened fire on a joint US-Syrian patrol, officials said.

“We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria,” US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform, vowing “very serious retaliation.”

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the attack took place in Palmyra, home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins and once controlled by the IS group — also known as ISIS — during the height of its territorial expansion in Syria.

The deadly attack had been “an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman,” who was “engaged and killed,” US Central Command said on X.

Trump called it “an ISIS attack against the US and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them.”

Three other wounded US troops were “doing well,” Trump said.

The soldiers “were conducting a key leader engagement” in support of counterterrorism operations when the attack occurred, Parnell said, while US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said the ambush targeted “a joint US–Syrian government patrol”.

The incident is the first of its kind reported since Islamist-led forces overthrew longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December last year, and rekindled the country’s ties with the United States.

Trump said Syria’s new President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who visited the White House last month, was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack.”

Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, said in a post on X that Damascus “strongly condemns the terrorist attack that targeted a joint Syria-US counterterrorism patrol near Palmyra”.

“We extend our condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the American government and people, and wish the wounded a speedy recovery.”

A Syrian military official who requested anonymity said the shots were fired “during a meeting between Syrian and American officers” at a Syrian base in Palmyra.

A witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said he heard the shots coming from inside the base.

However, a Pentagon official speaking on the condition of anonymity told AFP the attack “took place in an area where the Syrian President does not have control.”

In an interview on state television, Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Anwar al-Baba said there had been “prior warnings from the internal security command to allied forces in the desert region” of a potential IS “infiltration”.

“The international coalition forces did not take the Syrian warnings of a possible IS infiltration into consideration,” he said.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, which has a wide network of sources inside Syria, the meeting came as part of an “American strategy to strengthen its presence and foothold in the Syrian desert”.

The official SANA news agency reported that helicopters evacuated the wounded to the Al-Tanf base in southern Syria, where American troops are deployed as part of the Washington-led global coalition against the IS group.

Last month, during al-Sharaa’s historic visit to Washington, Damascus formally joined the coalition.

IS seized swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in 2014 during Syria’s civil war, before being territorially defeated in the country five years later.

Its fighters still maintain a presence, however, particularly in Syria’s vast desert.

US forces are deployed in Syria’s Kurdish-controlled northeast as well as at Al-Tanf near the border with Jordan.