A youth group in Kebbi State has criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what it described as the agency’s refusal to comply with a court order granting interim bail to a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Chika Malami.
The group, Youth in Defence of Justice and Fairness, accused the anti-graft agency of abusing its powers by continuing to detain Mr Malami despite a subsisting court order.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its secretary, Hassan Na Balkisu Mustapha, the group described the EFCC’s alleged action as “a grave affront to the authority of Nigerian courts” and a dangerous precedent for the rule of law.
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“We view the commission’s refusal to obey a court order mandating it to grant Mr Malami interim bail as a monumental act of disobedience to constituted authority,” the statement read. “More disturbing is the EFCC’s alleged denial of receipt of the court order duly served on it.”
The group said it had been monitoring developments between the EFCC and Mr Malami’s legal team, noting that the former minister had submitted himself to the commission’s investigation.
It alleged that Mr Malami had been held in custody for over two weeks without trial, accusing the commission of acting out of “personal vendetta” rather than adherence to due process.
“We are deeply worried about his safety and continued detention. We are not satisfied with the conditions under which he is being held,” the statement added.
The group further claimed that its own findings indicated that Mr Malami had provided documents to support his defence, arguing that he was entitled to bail under the law, especially as the case did not involve a capital offence.
“Every suspect under investigation is entitled to bail. This is not a murder case but a civil matter,” the group said, urging the EFCC to respect the court order and uphold the principles of justice.
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