Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has charged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to institutionalise digital processes, safeguard data integrity, invest in capacity building and ensure that public service reforms are sustained beyond individual office holders.

Akume gave the charge in Abuja on Wednesday while delivering special remarks at the Paperless Civil Service Gala and Awards Night, describing the future of governance as one anchored on strong systems rather than shortcuts.

“The future of governance lies in systems, not shortcuts,” the SGF said, urging government functionaries to deepen digital reforms and embed them into the structures and culture of the civil service to guarantee continuity and effectiveness.

He said the ongoing transition to paperless work processes across the federal civil service was more than a technological upgrade, describing it as a fundamental shift in culture, mindset and service delivery.

According to him, digitalisation represents “efficiency over bureaucracy, transparency over opacity, and accountability over discretion,” and underscores the resolve of the administration to build a modern, responsive and citizen-centred public service.

Akume noted that the paperless initiative aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 2021–2025) as well as the broader public sector reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Digital governance is no longer optional; it is essential to effective coordination, fiscal discipline, and timely decision-making across government,” he said.

The SGF commended the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, led by Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, for what he described as its vision, consistency and commitment to reform, saying the gala and awards night demonstrated what is achievable when leadership aligns policy with execution.

He also praised individuals, teams and institutions recognised at the event for showing leadership, innovation and courage in driving change, often in the face of resistance.

“Your recognition here sends a powerful message across the Service: excellence will be seen, and excellence will be rewarded,” Akume said.

He reaffirmed the commitment of his office to supporting initiatives that enhance coordination, efficiency and reform across government, while congratulating all awardees at the ceremony.

The Paperless Civil Service Gala and Awards Night was organised to celebrate milestones recorded in the digital transformation of the federal civil service and to honour outstanding contributions to the reform process.

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…Breakthrough expected today

The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, on Tuesday night led top officers of the Nigeria Labour Congress to meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with a view to averting the planned strike by the union.

Uzodimma alongside his Kebbi and Edo states counterparts, Alhaji Nasir Idris and Senator Monday Okpebholo, had previously met with NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero and his team at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge.

Their meeting, which also  had in attendance the Minister of State, Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejiocha had centred on ways to ensure that the NLC strike planned to begin the next day was shelved.

It was gathered that after Uzodimma had canvassed the government position forcefully, NLC insisted on meeting with Tinubu to reassure Labour that agreements reached were kept.

It was then that the governor made contact with Aso Rock and the green light was given for the negotiation team to proceed to the presidential villa to meet with Mr President.

After the meeting with Tinubu,there were  indications that a breakthrough is in sight, as the Labour leaders later promised to meet with their members to discuss further and revert on a consensus on Wednesday

Governor Uzodimma who is the President’s Renewed Hope Ambassador, described the engagement as an ongoing dialogue in the national interest.

“Consultation is going on. We were dialoguing. At the end of the day, you will know what you are supposed to know. Of course, we are here to serve the country. labour, government and all stakeholders. We are all working in service to the nation,” Uzodinma stated.

Also speaking the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the engagement was essentially consultative and that labour leaders would brief their organs before taking a final decision on the proposed protest.

“We came for consultation with the President, and we are finished, so we have to go back to our meeting and then continue tomorrow. By tomorrow, we will get the outcome,” Ajaero said.

On her part, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said the meeting afforded labour leaders the opportunity to engage directly with the President and hear firsthand the government’s position.

“Citizens who are also members of the NLC wanted to see Mr President, and they have seen Mr President. They are happy they’ve seen him and that they’ve had firsthand information. At least, the President has driven the economy out of the woods, and that is very good news,” Onyejeocha said.

Governor Hope Uzodimma who has been playing a front line role  in mediating major socio-political issues that threaten the smooth running of governance also expressed optimism that the consultations would yield positive outcomes, noting that dialogue remained the preferred path to resolving disagreements between labour and government.

The meeting resumed again on Wednesday morning and a positive  decision is expected to be announced soon

The post Uzodimma leads NLC to Tinubu to avert strike appeared first on Vanguard News.

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• Says Fusengbuwa forfeited right to stool after missing deadline

The Fidipote Ruling House of Ijebu Ode has formally written to the Ijebu Ode Local Government Area and the Ogun State Government, asserting its entitlement to present candidates for the vacant Awujale stool.

The letter, co-signed by the Head and Secretary of the ruling house, Oba Tajudeen Omotayo and Omooba Tunde Aderibigbe, claims that the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, initially entitled to submit candidates, failed to do so within the statutory period under the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021, and the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration of 1959.

The Fidipote family stated, “We respectfully refer to your letter dated December 2, 2025, with Reference No 10LG584/0/29, wherein the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was formally notified and invited to present candidate(s) for the vacant stool of Awujale in accordance with Section 16(1)(a) and (b) of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021.

“Take notice as follows: Section 161(b) of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021 mandatorily provides that a ruling house so entitled shall submit the name(s) of its candidate(s) not later than fourteen (14) days after the announcement by the Secretary af the competent council.

“2. The said statutory period of fourteen (14) days lapsed on 16th December. 2025, without the submission of any candidate(s) by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, to the best of our knowledge.

“3. By virtue of Section 16(1)(c) of the Ogun State Chieftaincy Law, 2021, where the ruling house first entitled fails to submit candidate(s) within the prescribed time, the next ruling house entitled under the order of rotation contained in the Declaration becomes legally entitled to present candidate(s).

“4. Under the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration of 1959, the next ruling house, entitled after the Fusengwa Ruling House, is the Fidipote Ruling House.”

The letter invites the Secretary of the Local Government, or an authorised representative, to attend the Fidipote family’s general meeting on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at Fidipote Royal Hall, 12 Fusigboye Street, Idewon Quarters, Ijebu Ode, at 10 am. The meeting will include the formal expression of interest by aspiring candidates, screening by eligible family members, and voting to select candidates for submission to the kingmakers.

The Fidipote family assured authorities that the process would be conducted “peacefully, transparently and strictly in line with the law, established customary practices and the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration of 1959.” Copies of the correspondence were sent to Governor Dapo Abiodun and other relevant officials.

The ruling house is historically associated with veteran Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1, who also held the title of Olori Omo-Oba Ijebuland conferred by the late Oba Sikiru Adetona in 2023.

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Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) on Wednesday, revealed that the Agency is targeting the registration of 250,000 businesses in 2026.

Speaking in Abuja, the Director General of SMEDAN, Charles Odii said “We will hand over 250,000 new registered businesses in 2026.

“We are very certain that even though it’s an interesting time for small businesses, that number will go up because of the formalization process that is happening, it will be unveiled in 2026.

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“So we will get new small businesses, we will formalise new small businesses. The second most important thing that will happen in 2026 is that we’ are going to unveil the National MSME Policy”.

He explained that “We have a policy that governs the MSME ecosystem. And many of you are aware, that policy lasts for five years. The last one was done in 2021, and by 31st of December, it should be reviewed.

“So that review process is ongoing right now. We will also call many of you like this in this room to share with you the draft of the review process before we take it to Mr. President.

“I want you to understand that, that process, if there’s one thing I want you to take away is that we cannot sit behind the desk here at SMEDAN and write the policies that will govern the small businesses in the 36 states and the FCT.

“We want the small businesses to be involved. And so if you have small businesses in your clusters, please this is the time that we want to hear from them”.

Odii stated that it was important to hear from the experiences of small businesses.

“I want to know the policies that did not work for them, I want to know the policies that the government should put in. One of the policies that I am hoping to put in is that of inmates who are in prisons and are going to be released soon.

“SMEDAN goes into the correctional facilities to train them for six months, one year before they are released, and they are then injected into the society. Many of them have complained to us that because of the stigma of having gone to prison, many people don’t want to touch them. And so we are also trying to put some policies in place to make sure that these people can also get employed again.

“We are in the process of brokering N”12 billion cheap funding for our small businesses. Last time we checked, approximately 500,000 small businesses have accessed this funding. But we want that number to increase drastically.

“We want to push those numbers somewhere above 5 million, somewhere above 3 million. So that can actually reflect a percentage of the small businesses that exist in Nigeria,” he stated.

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

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Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has reaffirmed that his administration has prioritised security at the top of its agenda, assuring residents of Ose, Owo, and Akure North Local Government Areas that banditry and criminal activities along the boundaries will not be tolerated.

Speaking during the third day of his statewide ‘Thank-You’ tour of local government areas, Aiyedatiwa revealed that the establishment of an Amotekun Rangers camp, alongside the deployment of operatives, had significantly reduced criminal activities, allowing farmers and traders to operate without fear.

He said that security agencies remain on high alert to protect the communities.

According to him, the government would not leave its citizens alone and allow something bad to happen to them, emphasising that improved security has restored public confidence and strengthened relations between the government and its citizens.

Apart from security, the Governor explained that the seven-day tour of all 18 local government areas was designed to take governance to the grassroots, thank citizens for their support, and highlight projects already executed or in progress.

He noted that while quarterly stakeholders’ meetings in Akure typically involve about 60 leaders from each local government, many grassroots residents are unable to participate or interact with the government directly.

He said the ‘Thank-You’ tour was therefore a platform not only for bonding but also for informing residents about ongoing government projects in their areas.

With Christmas less than nine days away, Governor Aiyedatiwa said the tour also provided an opportunity to extend goodwill to residents through the distribution of palliatives.

The Governor assured residents of Ose Local Government that their bad roads would be fixed.

Speaking on the prolonged Olufon of Ifon stool dispute, he described the traditional stool as significant and expressed concern over delays in resolving the matter.

He recalled that the issue was first brought to his office by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs during his tenure as deputy governor, adding that several stakeholders’ meetings had since taken place.

The Governor insisted that the government would not impose a king on the people, stressing that the town must adhere to due process in line with the official chieftaincy declaration of 1969. Once a candidate is properly selected, he assured, he would present the staff of office.

He highlighted that amenities such as improved electricity supply, school shuttle buses, and other social interventions were outcomes of the reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which had strengthened the state’s capacity to execute projects.

At Owo, Governor Aiyedatiwa reaffirmed his connection with the town, recalling how the late former Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, had chosen him as deputy governor.

He said Owo recorded the highest number of votes during the last election, describing the support as a responsibility his administration would continue to honour through responsive and people-oriented governance.

At Iju/Ita-Ogbolu, the headquarters of Akure North Local Government Area, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa expressed delight at the large turnout of party members who came out to welcome him.

The Governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, thanked the people of Akure North for their steadfast support for the APC at both the state and national levels. He urged them to sustain the support to ensure the party’s continued success, including the re-election of President Bola Tinubu beyond 2027.

He also congratulated party members on the occasion of the yuletide season, announcing that his administration had made provisions for Christmas gifts for all APC members, with clear instructions that every party member must benefit from the gesture.

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President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, asked the Senate to approve new chief executives for Nigeria’s petroleum regulators following the resignation of their substantive heads.

The affected agencies are the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, both created under the Petroleum Industry Act.

The resignations involve Farouk Ahmed, former chief executive of the NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, former chief executive of the NUPRC.

Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the newly established regulatory institutions.

In separate letters to the Senate, Mr Tinubu nominated Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as NUPRC chief executive and Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as NMDPRA chief executive.

The president urged senators to treat the nominations with urgency, saying confirmation would “ensure continuity and stability within the petroleum regulatory framework”.

Ms Eyesan is a seasoned petroleum economist with nearly 33 years’ experience at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. and its subsidiaries.

She is a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin and retired as executive vice president, Upstream, at NNPC Ltd., serving between 2023 and 2024.

She earlier served as group general manager, corporate planning and strategy, from 2019 to 2023, contributing to strategic reforms in the upstream sector.

Mr Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe State, is a Chemical Engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he earned his degree in 1981.

He recently served as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy and has decades of leadership experience across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

His previous roles include managing director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Nigerian Gas Company.

Mr Mohammed also chaired boards of the West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail.

He served as group executive director and chief operating officer, gas and power directorate, providing leadership on major gas projects and policy frameworks.

These included the Gas Masterplan, the Gas Network Code and contributions to shaping the Petroleum Industry Act.

He played key roles in delivering projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG train expansions.

The nominations were conveyed in a statement issued by the president’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.

(NAN)

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Justice Sulaiman Akanbi of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, on Wednesday, remanded three Indian nationals over alleged criminal breach of trust.

They are Lalit Sarwat, Ravi Raghavendra, and Gagan Sarswat, alongside an Ilorin-based dispatch manager, Oniyide Samuel.

They were remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

The defendants were arraigned on Wednesday by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust, contrary to and punishable under Sections 97 and 314 of the Penal Code.

The commission alleged that the defendants, while being employees of KAM Steel Integrated Company Limited, Ilorin, conspired among themselves between November 2024 and September 2025 to commit criminal breach of trust.

Count one of the charge sheet reads: “That you, Lalit Sarwat, Kumar Saroj (at large), Oniyide Samuel (trading under the name and style of Incognito Steel), Ravi Raghavendra, and Gagan Sarswat, between November 2024 and September 2025, whilst being servants in the employment of KAM Steel Integrated Company Limited, agreed among yourselves to do an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.”

Particulars of count two state: “That you, Lalit Sarwat, Kumar Saroj (at large), Oniyide Samuel (trading under the name and style of Incognito Steel), Ravi Raghavendra, and Gagan Sarswat, between November 2024 and September 2025, whilst being servants in the employment of KAM Steel Integrated Company Limited and in that capacity entrusted with the company’s property, to wit: steel rebars, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said properties and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314 of the Penal Code.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them in court.

Following their pleas, Cosmas Ugwu, who appeared for the EFCC, applied for the remand of the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending trial.

Counsel to the defendants, Ademuyiwa Abe, S. J. Ochai, and D. M. Ayuba, however, filed applications for bail on behalf of their clients, arguing that the offences charged are bailable.

Opposing the bail applications, Ugwu urged the court to refuse them on the grounds that three of the defendants are foreign nationals and pose a flight risk. He further urged the court to grant an accelerated hearing of the matter.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Akanbi adjourned the matter to Friday, December 19, 2025, for ruling on the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

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The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Afam Osigwe, says the rift between Aliko Dangote and the recently resigned Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, was becoming embarrassing for public officers and the government.

Osigwe made this statement on Wednesday during an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television monitored by DAILY POST.

DAILY POST reports that Ahmed tendered his resignation on Wednesday evening, barely 24 hours after allegations of corruption were leveled against him by Dangote.

“I don’t know the facts, and I just saw the breaking news on your screen. It would be unfair for me to take sides with any of the parties, but sometimes the perception of corruption may be weightier than the actual proof of corruption.

“And it would be unfair to condemn him, but I can say that the matter is becoming publicly embarrassing for public officers and for the government, and I think the government is being decisive in accepting their resignation.

“I mean the breaking news has always said that they resigned. So I would like to say that, look, you’re heating up the system. Your continuous actions are making things difficult and attracting negative attention.

“I’m not privy to the meeting, but I also think you know so. And then with the ICPC indicating that they would investigate the allegation, I think the President was being decisive. Whether they were encouraged to resign or willingly resigned remains to be seen.

“But let it also not be that these allegations were used to get rid of a person and then nothing more happens. Let there be a proper investigation so that the man either clears his name or it is proven that he was actually corrupt or guilty of the allegation,” he said.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm new chief executives for two of Nigeria’s key petroleum regulators following the resignation of their current heads, a development that comes amid a deepening controversy in the downstream sector.

The request, conveyed in separate letters to the Senate on Wednesday, seeks approval for fresh leadership at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Engr. Farouk Ahmed has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA, while Gbenga Komolafe resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC. Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act.

The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday, December 17.

In the statement, the Presidency said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC.”

The statement added: “The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC.”

Announcing the proposed replacements, the statement said: “To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA.”

The Presidency described the nominees as “seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.”

On Eyesan, the release noted: “Eyesan, a graduate of Economics from the University of Benin, spent nearly 33 years with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its subsidiaries.” It added that “she retired as Executive Vice President, Upstream, from 2023 to 2024, and previously served as Group General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy at the NNPC between 2019 and 2023.”

Providing details on Mohammed, the statement said: “Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, born in 1957 in Gombe, graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.” It further disclosed that “he was announced today as an independent non-executive director at Seplat Energy.

“His prior roles include Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company and Nigerian Gas Company, as well as Chair of the boards of West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries and NNPC Retail.”

The statement added: “He also served as Group Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power Directorate, where he provided strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act.”

The statement highlighted that “Engineer Mohammed played a pivotal role in delivering key projects such as the Escravos, Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano, AKK, Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG Train.”

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Former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, on Wednesday, raised the alarm over the raids on his homes and offices by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He said the anti-graft agency, which has detained him since 8 December over investigations into corruption allegations against him, carried out the raids on his premises in Abuja and Kebbi in Kebbi State, his home state, on Wednesday.

EFCC confirmed the raids to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday but called the actions a search necessary for its ongoing investigation of the former minister.

Mr Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), disclosed the raids in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, which was shared on the former minister’s Facebook page.

The statement suggested that the raids were triggered by an earlier press release on Wednesday. The said earlier statement referenced the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry’s report, which Mr Malami claimed indicted the EFCC chair, Ola Olukoyede, for his activities as the secretary to the EFCC from 2018 to 2020.

Mr Malami specifically alluded to Chapter 9 of the report which he said focused on Mr Olukoyede.

The later statement on Wednesday said, following the disclosure in the earlier press release, EFCC operatives “carried out coordinated raids on our offices and on the private residences of Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, in Abuja and Kebbi State.”

“These actions (were carried out without prior notice and were expressly directed at searching for documents allegedly connected to Chapter 9 of the Salami Report,” the statement added.

The former AGF did not provide proof that the raids were triggered by his earlier statement referencing the Justice Ayo Salami report.

The panel of inquiry led by Mr Salami, a former President of the Court of Appeal, submitted its report to the then-President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2020.

But both Mr Buhari and Mr Malami, who as the AGF facilitated the establishment of the panel to probe the activities of the EFCC under the leadership of the then-acting chairperson of the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu, failed to make the report of the panel public.

They also failed to act on the recommendations of the panel before their administration wound up two and a half years later, in May 2023.

Meanwhile, preparatory to the hearing of the panel, Mr Buhari had suspended Mr Magu and Mr Olukoyede alongside some other top officials of the EFCC from office  in July 2020. The panel controversially went on to conduct its hearing in camera. The EFCC officials were never recalled by the Buhari administration while the public was kept in the dark regarding the outcome of the panel’s inquiry.

Malami blames Olukoyede

Citing his role in the establishment of the Salami panel, Mr Malami, on Monday, called on Mr Olukoyede to step aside from his probe by the EFCC. He claimed his probe, arrest and detention by the EFCC were “driven by deep-seated historical animosity and a malicious personal vendetta orchestrated by the EFCC Chairman”.

Earlier on Wednesday, he issued another statement referencing Chapter 9 of the Salami panel’s report and intensifying his call for Mr Olukoyede to recuse himself from his probe.

“Viewed against this background, the present actions of the EFCC cannot reasonably be interpreted as neutral law enforcement. They amount to retaliatory persecution driven by historical animosity and personal vendetta,” the statement by his media aide read.

In a later statement on Wednesday announcing the raids on his premises in Abuja and Kebbi, Mr Malami described the actions as “deeply alarming”.

He said the raids were acts of intimidation and retaliation following his public call for the EFCC chairman to recuse himself from matters relating to investigations involving him.

“These raids raise grave concerns about intimidation, retaliation and the safety of our staff and of Abubakar Malami, SAN,” the statement said.

The statement warned that it would hold the authorities responsible should any harm come to him or members of his staff, describing the situation as a threat to the rule of law and constitutional governance.

He also urged Nigerians and the media to question the timing and legality of the searches, asking why the raids occurred immediately after public reference to Chapter 9 of the Salami report and what legal authority justified searches focused on that section of the report.

Mr Malami further called on civil society organisations, professional bodies and human rights groups to pressure the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to release the Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry report, particularly Chapter 9, in the interest of transparency and accountability.

Despite the allegations, the former attorney general said he remained willing to submit himself to a lawful and impartial judicial process.

“Intimidation, raids and media trials cannot substitute for due process,” the statement added.

EFCC confirms raid

The EFCC, however, said the operation was part of its ongoing investigation and not a raid.

“It is in furtherance of our ongoing investigation. It was not a raid; it was a search. When a suspect is being investigated, we normally conduct searches in line with our investigation,” the commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said during a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.

The raid allegation comes amid an ongoing dispute between Mr Malami and the leadership of the anti-graft agency over the handling of investigations involving the former minister.

Olukoyede, EFCC deny wrongdoing

Mr Olukoyede has previously denied allegations levelled against him by the Salami panel.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos in July during a meeting with media representatives, the EFCC chairman said he was unjustly suspended as the commission’s secretary over what he described as false corruption allegations.

He said he was later vindicated and reinstated after a review by the administration of President Bola Tinubu found no wrongdoing on his part.

“I did not steal anything,” Mr Olukoyede said.

The EFCC has also denied allegations of bias and unlawful conduct raised by Mr Malami in the wake of his probe by the commission.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the commission’s spokesperson, Mr Oyewale, dismissed claims that Mr Malami’s bail was revoked because he attended a political gathering in Kebbi State, describing the allegation as “patently false.”

Mr Oyewale said Mr Malami was granted administrative bail on 28 November after interrogation, pending the conclusion of investigations and possible arraignment.

“Administrative bail is a discretionary temporary reprieve that allows a suspect to be released on stated conditions pending the conclusion of investigation and arraignment in court,” he said.

According to the EFCC, the former minister failed to meet the conditions attached to the bail and did not return on the agreed date of 1 December.

The commission said it later granted his request for a deferment on health grounds but that he neither submitted a medical report nor provided credible evidence to support the claim.

Mr Oyewale said Mr Malami was re-invited on 8 December for further questioning and detained after failing to meet the outstanding bail requirements, adding that it was wrong to suggest that the EFCC restricted him from granting media interviews or participating in political activities.

Background

Mr Malami served as Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and has declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Kebbi State.

The EFCC is investigating Mr Malami over allegations including the alleged fraudulent duplication of expenses related to the recovery of assets linked to the late former military ruler, Sani Abacha.

Reports have also indicated that the commission is probing several bank accounts allegedly linked to the former minister, as well as his multi-billion-naira investments in Kebbi State.

Following his detention, Mr Malami’s lawyers challenged his continued custody, describing it as unlawful and a violation of his fundamental rights, a development that has drawn political reactions from opposition figures accusing the EFCC of politicising its actions.

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