A group of Nigerian legislative lawyers has asked the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to investigate and prosecute former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
The group, known as the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), accused Malami of abusing his office during his time as Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
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Their complaint is linked to the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, ahead of the 2019 general elections. Onnoghen was removed from office by then President Muhammadu Buhari while Malami was serving as Attorney General. The former CJN was later tried and convicted for failing to properly declare his assets by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
However, the Court of Appeal overturned that conviction in November 2024.
In a petition dated February 3, 2026, and signed by their lawyer, S. O. Abang, ALDRAP asked the CCB to investigate Malami for allegedly violating parts of the 1999 Constitution and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act of 1991.
The lawyers accused Malami of unlawfully removing Justice Onnoghen, wrongly prosecuting Justice Nnamdi Dimigba of the Federal High Court, and receiving illegal gifts through an NGO linked to him, known as Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiatives.
They claimed these actions happened while Malami was Attorney General under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the petition, Malami abused the powers given to him under Section 174 of the Constitution, which allows the Attorney General to start or stop prosecutions. The group alleged that he used this power for personal, political, and financial gain instead of public interest.
The petition also claimed that Malami directed the Code of Conduct Bureau to stop some cases against government officials, even after evidence had been established. At the same time, he allegedly approved fast investigations against other officials for political reasons.
The lawyers said Malami used the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal to remove Justice Onnoghen from office and applied similar methods against Justice Dimigba.
They also alleged that Malami admitted to receiving over 200 cars as gifts, both personally and through his NGO. The petition said this violated provisions of the Code of Conduct law.
In another allegation, the group said Malami approved the appointment of Alhaji Abubakar Usman Gotomo, the chairman of the NGO’s trustees, as Chairman of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in 2019, despite rules against such actions.
The petition further alleged that Malami admitted in 2022 to receiving money and cars from supporters to fund his governorship campaign in Kebbi State, which the group said also violated the law.
ALDRAP concluded that Malami’s actions amounted to abuse of office and misconduct, and asked the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate and prosecute him.
Meanwhile, Malami is currently facing separate charges by the Nigerian government over alleged money laundering and terrorism financing.