A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has demanded the immediate recusal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from his ongoing investigation, alleging bias, personal vendetta, and political persecution linked to his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress.

In a strongly worded press release issued on Monday by his media aide, Muhammad Doka, Malami accused the EFCC of conducting what he described as an “illegal detention, media harassment, and procedural abuse,” insisting that the probe against him was not driven by law enforcement considerations but by “deep-seated historical animosity” on the part of the EFCC leadership.

“I have been clearly pre-judged and cannot receive a fair, objective, or lawful investigation under the current leadership of the EFCC,” Malami said.

The former justice minister anchored his claims on events dating back to his tenure as AGF, when the Federal Government constituted the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of office within the EFCC.

Malami noted that the current EFCC Chairman served as Secretary to the commission and that the Salami Report—now in the public domain—contained adverse findings against him. “The present investigation bears all the hallmarks of retaliatory persecution motivated by personal vengeance,” Malami alleged.

On this basis, Malami formally called on the EFCC Chairman to step aside from the matter and urged the Attorney-General of the Federation, as the nation’s Chief Law Officer, to intervene. “To restore credibility and public confidence, another appropriate law enforcement agency must handle this matter,” he said, warning that failure to act could cause “serious institutional damage.”

Malami also demanded either his immediate arraignment or release within 24 hours, citing Sections 35(3), (4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). “Only a court of competent jurisdiction—not a politically compromised agency—can lawfully and credibly adjudicate this matter,” he insisted.

Raising further concerns, the former AGF accused the EFCC of attempting to rely on individuals convicted by foreign courts and currently serving criminal sentences abroad as potential witnesses. He described such moves as “desperate, scandalous and corrosive to the integrity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system,” arguing that such persons should ordinarily be subjects of extradition, not prosecution witnesses.

According to the statement, Malami’s legal team has already initiated formal steps to safeguard his rights, including requests for Certified True Copies of the petitions said to have triggered the investigation and the EFCC’s investigation report to enable him to prepare his defence.

“Let it be stated clearly: I seek no political settlement or inducement,” Malami said. “My singular objective is to clear my name openly and transparently before a court of competent jurisdiction. Nigeria must not become a republic where anti-corruption agencies are tools of political intimidation. The law must remain supreme—above politics, above power, and above persons.”

The EFCC had yet to respond to Malami’s latest claims as of the time of filing this report.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced plans to prosecute popular TikTok streamer Habeeb Hamzat, widely known as Peller, following a road traffic crash linked to distracted driving.

The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, expressed concern over what he described as a growing trend of reckless road use among celebrities, content creators and social media influencers, warning that such behaviour endangers lives and undermines national road safety efforts.

The warning followed a viral video showing Peller engaging in a live video stream while driving, an act the FRSC said reportedly resulted in a crash.

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the corps spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, Mohammed described the act as unlawful and dangerous, noting that it could have led to loss of lives.

“The incident serves as a grim reminder that fame does not confer immunity from the law, nor does it excuse dangerous behaviour on public roads,” the corps marshal said.

He stressed that live streaming, content creation or any activity that distracts a driver while driving is a direct violation of traffic regulations and poses serious risks to both the driver and other road users.

According to him, such conduct also undermines ongoing efforts to reduce road traffic crashes and fatalities across the country.

Mohammed directed the Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC to commence prosecution against the individual involved for reckless driving, use of a phone while driving and distracted driving, in line with existing traffic laws.

He also called on professional bodies within the entertainment industry, including actors’ guilds, influencer networks and content creator associations, to take responsibility for the conduct of their members and promote responsible behaviour on Nigerian roads.

The corps marshal noted that celebrities and influencers wield significant influence, especially among young Nigerians, and warned that they must serve as ambassadors of safety rather than symbols of recklessness.

Reiterating the FRSC’s zero-tolerance stance, Mohammed said the corps would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law against anyone found engaging in reckless or distracted driving, regardless of status.

“No social media content, online trend or momentary clout is worth a human life,” he said, reminding motorists that public roads are shared spaces governed by laws designed to protect lives.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate decreased to 14.45% in November 2025.

The NBS announced the decrease in its consumer price index (CPI) report on Monday, marking the eighth consecutive drop in 2025 — surpassing President Bola Tinubu’s 15 percent target.

According to the Bureau, the November headline inflation rate is lower relative to the 16.05 percent recorded in October 2025.

The latest rate is the lowest in five years, signalling a return to the COVID-19 pandemic level when headline inflation reached the 14 percent range in October 2020, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The NBS said the current inflation rate, on a year-on-year basis, was “20.15% lower than the rate recorded in November 2024 (34.60%)”.

“This shows that the Headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) decreased in November 2025 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., November 2024),” the agency said.

“On a month-on-month basis, the Headline inflation rate in November 2025 was 1.22%, which was 0.29% higher than the rate recorded in October 2025 (0.93%).

“This means that in November 2025, the rate of increase in the average price level was higher than the rate of increase in the average price level in October 2025.”