Lead counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN, has denied reports that the anti-graft agency had been served with a court order directing the release of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in connection with the ongoing ₦8.7 billion alleged money laundering case.
In a statement shared via his 𝕏 handle on Wednesday, Okutepa said neither the EFCC nor his law firm had received any such court directive granting Malami bail, despite widespread claims in the public domain.
According to Okutepa, rumours of Malami’s release followed a press statement allegedly issued by a media aide to the former AGF, accusing the EFCC of detaining him unlawfully for 14 days, despite a purported ex parte court order made on December 23, 2025.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I state categorically on my honour that as of the time of this statement, no court order has ever been served on my law firm or the EFCC,” Okutepa stated.
He added that he only learned of the alleged bail ruling through social media, describing it as “bizarre and surprising” that any court would grant bail ex parte to a criminal suspect without notifying the detaining authority.
The senior advocate insisted that the EFCC’s detention of Malami was lawful and backed by existing court orders.
He recalled that on December 10, 2025, Justice S.C. Oriji of the FCT High Court had ordered Malami’s remand in EFCC custody for 14 days pending the conclusion of investigations. Okutepa said this order was properly served on Malami and his legal team.
Despite the valid order, Malami’s lawyers filed another bail application at the FCT High Court sitting in Nyanya, alleging illegal detention. Okutepa noted that the EFCC opposed the application, and Justice Babaginda Hassan dismissed the request on December 18, 2025, after finding the detention was lawful.
“The orders of Justices Oriji and Hassan made on December 10 and December 18, 2025, respectively, are still extant and have not been set aside,” he said.
Okutepa criticised what he described as an abuse of court process, arguing that it would be wrong for any judge to grant bail on an ex parte basis without reviewing existing rulings or notifying all parties involved.
He expressed dismay that Malami’s legal team, aware of the subsisting orders, allegedly sought relief from a different court without disclosing prior proceedings.
The senior lawyer maintained that the EFCC was acting strictly in line with the law and urged the public not to be misled.
“Abubakar Malami, SAN, is being lawfully detained upon valid and subsisting court orders,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, the EFCC has reportedly filed 16 new charges against the former attorney-general in connection with the same corruption case.
This development comes amid conflicting reports over Malami’s bail status, with his media aide, Mohammed Doka, claiming that a Federal High Court in the FCT had granted his release.