Armed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have raided the Maitama, Abuja residence of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, in what the former minister described as an illegal and embarrassing operation conducted without a valid court order.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
The raid came just hours after prominent chieftains of the African Democratic Congress, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, visited Malami at the same residence — a timing that has raised questions about whether the operation was linked to the political visit.
In a video of the incident that has since gone viral, Malami, still dressed in the same attire he wore to receive Atiku, was seen confronting the operatives at his property, demanding to see a court order authorising the exercise and challenging the legality of their presence.
Malami was visibly agitated as he confronted the EFCC operatives, questioning the legal basis for their presence at his property.
“Where is the order? The order here is not specific, giving you general directives to come and mark my property. And then this matter is pending in court. Where is the order from the court that gave you permission?” Malami demanded.
He accused the operatives of deliberately attempting to embarrass him, suggesting the exercise was connected to his ongoing legal battle with the EFCC.
“Are you coming here to embarrass me unnecessarily because I am in court? So you are embarking on this position now to move nationwide and embarrass me,” the former AGF stated.
Malami pointedly challenged the legality of marking his property while the matter remained before a court.
“Without an existing court order, when a matter is pending in court, you are coming all over my property to embarrass me. That’s the way it is done?” he asked.
Despite his protests, Malami ultimately allowed the operatives to proceed with their exercise, issuing a defiant warning that the matter would be challenged in court.
“Go ahead. Go ahead, we’ll meet in court. Go ahead and mark, and then we meet in court,” Malami told the operatives, signalling his intention to pursue legal action over the raid.
The timing of the raid has attracted significant attention. Malami, who was recently granted bail after being detained over alleged money laundering charges, had received a visit from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other prominent ADC chieftains at his residence earlier in the day.
The visit was seen as politically significant, as Malami — a key figure in the Buhari administration and the APC — was being courted by or showing solidarity with opposition figures at a time when political realignments ahead of 2027 are intensifying.
Hours after Atiku and the ADC delegation departed, armed EFCC operatives arrived at the property to carry out what appeared to be a property marking or asset tracing exercise.
The proximity of the two events — the high-profile political visit and the subsequent raid — has fuelled speculation about whether the EFCC’s operation was timed to send a message, though no official connection has been established.
Malami, alongside his wife Bashir Asabe and son Abdulaziz, is facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering filed by the EFCC. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.
The former AGF had previously spent time in EFCC custody, was remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, and was subsequently re-arrested by the Department of State Services before being granted bail in February 2026.
In a recent interview, Malami had spoken defiantly about the charges, declaring that he had no regrets about his conduct during his time as minister and accusing security agencies of violating his constitutional rights by searching his properties without notifying him.
@thenigerialawyer "Where Is The Court Order?" — Fmr AGF Malami Confronts Security Operatives As Armed EFCC Personnel Raid His Maitama Residence Hours After Atiku's Visit
“They violated my rights by searching my houses and business premises without notifying me. Constitutionally, I had the right to be present to monitor the process and know what items were being taken,” Malami had stated.
Sunday’s raid appears to be a continuation of the pattern Malami had complained about — EFCC operatives arriving at his properties to carry out exercises that the former AGF contends lack proper judicial authorisation.
The incident raises several legal questions about the extent of the EFCC’s powers to access and mark properties of individuals who are out on bail and whose cases are pending before the courts.
While the EFCC has broad powers under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act to investigate, trace, and preserve assets suspected to be proceeds of crime, the exercise of these powers is subject to constitutional protections including the right to property, the right to fair hearing, and the requirement for due process.
Malami’s challenge — that the operatives lacked a specific court order authorising the marking of his property while the matter was pending in court — raises the question of whether the EFCC can unilaterally mark or designate properties as suspected proceeds of crime without first obtaining a court order, particularly when the defendant is on bail and the substantive charges are yet to be determined.
The former AGF’s warning that “we meet in court” suggests that a formal legal challenge to the property marking exercise may be filed in the coming days.
The raid on Malami’s residence, coming hours after a visit by the leading opposition figure and ADC presidential aspirant, adds a political dimension to what the EFCC may characterise as a routine enforcement operation.
Malami served as Attorney-General from 2015 to 2023 under the Buhari administration and was one of the most politically influential members of the former president’s cabinet. His prosecution is part of a broader wave of investigations targeting former Buhari administration officials.
His apparent closeness to opposition figures, including Atiku, at a time when the 2027 political landscape is taking shape, adds another layer of complexity to a case that is already being viewed through both legal and political lenses.
Neither the EFCC nor the Presidency has issued a statement on the timing of the raid or its connection, if any, to Atiku’s visit.
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