Operatives of Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies on Wednesday evening, cordoned off the residence of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in what sources describe as a major escalation in an ongoing high-profile corruption investigation.
Authoritative sources told PRNigeria that several enforcement vehicles of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and armed operatives were deployed to the residence linked to Malami, where Nana Hadiza Buhari, his third wife and daughter of former President Muhammadu Buhari, is reported to be present.
The operation comes amid Malami’s continued detention by the EFCC over a wide-ranging investigation bordering on alleged corruption, money laundering, terrorism financing, and controversies surrounding the management of recovered Abacha loot, including inquiries into multiple bank accounts and suspicious financial transactions allegedly traced to his tenure in office.
Malami, who served as Nigeria’s chief law officer from 2015 to 2023, married Nana Hadiza Buhari in July 2022 in a private ceremony held at the Presidential Villa Mosque, Aso Rock, during the final year of the Buhari administration. She is the former president’s third daughter.
EFCC officials have maintained that although Malami was previously granted administrative bail, the bail was effectively revoked after he allegedly failed to meet key conditions attached to it. The commission insists that he remains in lawful custody pending further compliance and extended interrogation.
The agency’s decision to move operatives to Malami’s residence marks a significant intensification of the probe, which has dominated national discourse and reignited debate over the scope, independence, and methods of Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions—particularly when investigations involve politically connected figures.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Malami’s legal team nor representatives of the Buhari family had issued an official statement regarding the siege.
EFCC spokesperson, Mr. Dele Oyewale, also declined to comment on operational details, citing the sensitivity of ongoing investigations.
