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Human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Mr Deji Adeyanju, has criticised Nigeria’s opposition parties over what he described as an unjustified media attack on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for its prosecution of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
Malami is currently being prosecuted by the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government on allegations of financial crimes, including money laundering and abuse of office.
The EFCC has linked him to an extensive portfolio of high-value assets that it says may be proceeds of unlawful activities.
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, Adeyanju condemned what he called the “shameful defence” of Malami by opposition parties, alleging that it undermined efforts to hold powerful officials accountable.
The statement read in part, “I am astonished by the hypocrisy of the opposition in their response to the arrest of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
“You cannot, in one breath, claim to want to change Nigeria and, in the next, rise in defence of a glaring case of alleged corruption involving obscene enrichment and the accumulation of unimaginable wealth.”
Adeyanju pointed to allegations that Malami acquired numerous properties and other assets of immense value far beyond what his lawful income could explain.
The EFCC and the Federal High Court in Abuja have identified 57 properties linked to Malami with an estimated combined value of about ₦213.2bn. These include luxury residential buildings, hotels, commercial estates, farmland and other high-end developments across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states.
Among the notable assets reportedly traced by the EFCC in a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja, bought in December 2022 for about ₦500m and now valued at around ₦5.95bn; and a large two-winged building formerly known as Harmonia Hotels on Onitsha Crescent, Garki, Abuja, acquired in 2018 for about ₦7bn.
There is also a five-storey hotel in Jabi, Abuja (Meethaq Hotels Ltd) with 53 rooms, initially purchased in 2020 at about ₦850m, now valued at roughly ₦8.4bn, among others.
According to Adeyanju, opposition parties ought to have demanded more from the anti-graft agencies rather than faulting its action on alleged corrupt deeds.
“What I expected from the opposition was not this shameful defence of an individual facing serious corruption allegations, but in fact, a demand that the EFCC should go further and arrest all corrupt individuals, whether they belong to the All Progressives Congress or any other political platform.
“Instead of blackmailing or vilifying the EFCC, the opposition should be mounting pressure on the Commission to do more, not less.”
He reminded the opposition that Malami’s case follows several high-profile anti-graft actions, including recent prosecutions of other political figures.
“They (opposition parties) should certainly not be defending Abubakar Malami. The EFCC acted correctly by arresting Malami, just as it acted rightly by arresting and prosecuting Yahaya Bello. This is exactly what an anti-corruption agency is meant to do. They are to go after anyone credibly accused of corruption, regardless of status.
“If we are really serious about sanitising this country, we must stop defending alleged looters and instead insist that the EFCC investigates and prosecutes all corrupt persons, regardless of their political affiliations. We must resist corruption with all our might, no matter what,” he added.
He further noted that the Nigerian State cannot make meaningful progress “If we continue to be selective about how law enforcement is applied. I stand with the rule of law. I stand with accountability. And I insist that no individual, no matter how powerful, should be above scrutiny.”
Opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress have publicly criticised the Federal Government’s handling of Malami’s prosecution, characterising it as selective justice and a politically motivated move to weaken opponents. They argue that the timing and intensity of the charges suggest the anti-graft campaign is being used to target political rivals, rather than to enforce the rule of law uniformly.
The EFCC and the Federal Government have maintained that the action against Malami is based on evidence gathered during prolonged investigations into alleged illicit enrichment and money laundering, and not driven by partisan interests.
Adeyanju’s intervention adds to a broader debate in Nigeria over the independence of anti-corruption institutions, the consistency of their application, and the political pressures that surround high-profile prosecutions.