The Kebbi State Government has denied claims that it was responsible for the ongoing ordeal of the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who is currently being detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to the government, the petitions against Malami being investigated by the EFCC did not originate from it, stressing that the state had no involvement in the matter.
Malami was invited by the EFCC on November 28 over issues bordering on the recovery of the Abacha loot during his tenure as Attorney General of the Federation.
In a post on his X handle on November 29, Malami disclosed that his interrogation by the commission was productive, insisting that the allegations against him were “fabricated.”
However, he returned to the EFCC on December 8 and has since remained in the custody of the commission after reportedly failing to meet his bail conditions.
His arrest came days after he declared interest in contesting the Kebbi State governorship election in 2027.
There were social media reports suggesting that Malami’s ordeal with the EFCC might be political, especially following accusations and counter-accusations between him and the Kebbi State Government over insecurity.
However, Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, dismissed the reports as untrue.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the spokesperson said, “There is nothing like that. The Kebbi State Government has no hand in Malami’s issue; it predates the coming of this administration.
“A lot of petitions were raised against him when he declared interest in the governorship of the state. The petitions are not even from Kebbi but from Abuja, from some of his colleagues. So, we have no hand in his issue.
“Anybody who says the Kebbi State Government has a hand in Malami’s case is mischievous. Such a person is wicked and heartless, because the state government does not even know exactly what is happening with his case.”
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