Abubakar Malami: Fresh Revelation Over Alleged Corruption of Buhari's Ex-Minister Emerges
- Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, alleged that assets linked to Abubakar Malami represented less than a quarter of misappropriated funds
- Maina claimed senior officials of the Buhari administration, including the late President Muhammadu Buhari and former AGF Abubakar Malami, travelled to Abu Dhabi to pressure him to return to Nigeria
- Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, was arraigned by the EFCC and granted bail as his trial continued
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Fresh allegations have surfaced against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, following claims by Abdulrasheed Maina, ex-chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, that assets currently linked to the former minister represent only a small portion of what was allegedly misappropriated.
Maina made the claims in Abuja while receiving the Rule of Law and Courage Award from the Garki branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), insisting that authorities have merely “scratched the surface” of the alleged corruption.
Source: Twitter
“Malami allegedly stole a lot of funds. What the government has seen so far is not even one quarter,” Maina said.
Call for wider asset recovery
The former pension reform boss expressed confidence that more assets could be recovered if investigations were expanded, arguing that the alleged sums involved far exceeded what has so far been uncovered.
“We can recover these funds from Malami. There are more than what has been seen. What is N270 billion?” he asked.
Maina commended the current administration for what he described as a more transparent approach to accountability, contrasting it with the previous government under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Yes, the government is doing the right thing. There must be accountability, transparency and the rule of law, which is what I see the government doing, as against what obtained in the last administration,” he added.
Allegations of pressure to return to Nigeria
Recounting past events, Maina alleged that senior officials of the Buhari administration once travelled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to persuade him to return to Nigeria while he was abroad.
According to him, those involved included the late President Buhari, former Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun, ex-National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno, and Abubakar Malami.
“How could somebody come to Abu Dhabi? The late President Muhammadu Buhari was there, Kemi Adeosun was there, Babagana Monguno was there, and Abubakar Malami was there,” Maina said.
“They begged me, and I refused to come to Nigeria. They later pressured my mother to insist that I return.”
Claims linked to Jonathan-era recoveries
Maina claimed the pressure stemmed from disclosures allegedly made by former President Goodluck Jonathan about his role in recovering public funds during Jonathan’s administration.
He said Jonathan had informed Buhari’s team that he helped recover N1.63 trillion and 227 properties while serving as chairman of the pension reform task force.
“Jonathan had told them that I recovered N1.63 trillion during his time. This can be verified by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,” Maina said.
Malami faces trial over money laundering allegations
Abubakar Malami is currently standing trial alongside his wife and son over allegations bordering on money laundering.
He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja before being granted bail.
On 7 January, a Federal High Court in Abuja admitted the former minister to bail in the sum of N500 million, as legal proceedings continue.
Malami speaks on arms found at his residence
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Abubakar Malami (SAN), a former attorney-general of the federation (AGF), has refuted reports that arms and ammunition were found in his residence in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 21, signed by Mohammed Bello Doka, his special assistant on media, and obtained by Legit.ng, Malami demanded an end to what he called “a media trial”.
Source: Legit.ng
