The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been asked to disqualify the Director‑General of the Legal Aid Council from serving as a surety for former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. The request comes from the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), a group of Nigerian legislative lawyers.
Malami, who is under investigation for alleged corruption, was granted interim bail by a Federal Capital Territory High Court on Tuesday. The bail conditions required him to surrender his international passport and to provide two sureties, one of whom is the Director‑General of the Legal Aid Council.
ALDRAP argues that the Director‑General is unfit to act as a surety because the Legal Aid Council performed poorly in the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) anti‑corruption index, receiving a zero‑percent score for 2024. In a letter to the EFCC chairman, the association cited this score as evidence that the Council failed to meet the ICPC’s ethics and integrity standards.
According to ALDRAP, the Council’s failure to satisfy the criteria for sureties set out in Section 167(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, makes the Director‑General an unsuitable candidate. The association has therefore requested that the EFCC apply the relevant provisions of the Act and disqualify the Director‑General from standing as a surety for Malami.
The request comes as Malami’s investigation and potential prosecution for corruption continue. The EFCC’s decision will be crucial in determining the next steps in the case and will be closely watched, given its implications for the broader fight against corruption in Nigeria.
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