Former spokesman for the South East to President Bola Tinubu, Josef Onoh, has accused former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, of hypocrisy and disregard for the rule of law during his time in office.
Mr Onoh, who is also chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, made the allegation in a statement issued from Paris, France.
He urged Mr Malami to stop what he described as attempts to blackmail and intimidate the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede and to submit himself to ongoing investigations.
Onoh was reacting to Malami’s recent call for Olukoyede to recuse himself from investigations involving him, citing alleged conflicts of interest linked to Chapter Nine of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry report.
According to Onoh, Malami’s claims of “personal vendetta” and “political persecution” against the EFCC were ironic in view of his record as attorney general.
“It is particularly revealing that Mr. Malami now cries vendetta and persecution,” Onoh said, alleging that several high profile prosecutions during Malami’s tenure were criticised as politically motivated, with repeated disobedience to court orders and prolonged detentions.
He recalled the removal of former EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, in 2020, alleging that Malami initiated the process by forwarding allegations against Magu to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said Magu was arrested, suspended and investigated by the Justice Ayo Salami panel, a process that critics at the time described as the outcome of an internal power struggle.
Onoh further alleged that Malami failed to honour a subpoena to appear before the Salami panel.
He added that although Magu was never prosecuted or convicted, his career was effectively ended.
He also cited other cases during Malami’s tenure, including the prolonged detention of a former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (retd.), despite multiple court orders granting him bail and the prosecution of a former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh.
On the handling of the Indigenous People of Biafra and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Onoh alleged that actions taken under Malami’s watch were widely condemned for disregarding court orders and suppressing dissent.
“These actions exemplified the weaponisation of prosecutorial powers that Malami now decries when the tables are turned,” Onoh stated.
He said the EFCC’s investigation into Malami should proceed without interference, stressing that no former public office holder is immune from scrutiny.
Onoh also dismissed Malami’s reliance on the Justice Ayo Salami panel report as a basis for demanding Olukoyede’s recusal, arguing that the report did not bar the EFCC from investigating former officials.
“The prior role of the EFCC Chairman as Secretary to the Salami Panel does not create any legal or ethical conflict,” he said, adding that the law on recusal applies to judicial or quasi judicial proceedings, not routine law enforcement investigations.
He challenged Abubakar Malami to submit himself to investigation and, if confident of his innocence, defend himself in court rather than through public statements.
