…Alleges Political Targeting
A northern advocacy group, Northern Concern Citizens (NCC), has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of bias and political targeting in its handling of allegations against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Monday, the group alleged that the anti-graft agency was ignoring court orders and fabricating allegations against Malami, particularly questioning the credibility of asset valuations linked to the former minister.
The group in the statement signed the Coordinator, Comrade Musa Mohammed claimed that Malami was being unfairly singled out for investigation because of his decision to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as politically motivated.
“Others within the APC who have defrauded and siphoned public funds are moving freely without harassment. Why is Malami being singled out?” the group queried.
The group further alleged regional bias, insisting that northern political figures were being unfairly targeted compared to their counterparts from other regions.
“Why only northern people? This is not democracy,” the statement read.
While condemning what it described as selective justice, the NCC urged the EFCC to either promptly arraign Malami in court if there is a case against him or respect his fundamental rights under the Nigerian Constitution.
According to the group, Malami should not be subjected to unnecessary detention and should be granted bail if he meets the conditions stipulated by law.
The NCC stressed that adherence to due process was critical, warning that Nigeria’s image was at stake.
“The world is watching how Nigeria handles this matter. Justice must be done and must be seen to be done,” the statement added.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued any public response to the allegations raised by the group.
Middle-Belt Times 