A leading anti-corruption organisation, Human and Environmental Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), has demanded that the Independent Corrupt Practises and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) conduct a thorough, immediate, and urgent investigation into the tenure of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, in light of numerous allegations of corruption and abuse of office.
In a four-page petition document signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, and copied to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the anti-corruption group decried the lack of investigation or report of any by the anti-corruption agencies of those allegations as conveyed by media reports and documentary evidence as it goes to the root of breakdown of law and order and total disregard for the rule of law while Malami served as Minister of Justice.
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HEDA, citing a few of several corruption allegations against Abubakar Malami, mentioned 10 alleged corrupt practices connected to his name, which includes distribution of 30 car gifts worth over N1,000,000,000 (One Billion Naira) to his supporters in Kebbi State. The car gifts widely reported by PremiumTimes on May 2, 2022, included 14 Mercedes Benz, eight Prado SUVs, four Toyota Hilux and four Lexus LX and the beneficiaries were social media influencers, executive members of Malami’s foundation and women support groups.
“Illegal auctioning of sea vessels holding crude oil seized by the Federal Government, violating Section 31(2) and (4) of the EFCC Act 2004 and assuming the role conferred on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission as reported by The Cable Newspaper on July 13, 2020.
“Alleged duplicity of payment of $16.9 million fees to two friends as new lawyers for the recovery of the loot traced to a former Nigerian Head of State, Sanni Abacha, after a Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, hired and fully paid by the previous government to help in the recovery had completed his brief as reported by PremiumTimes on April 10, 2018. it was alleged that Malami undertook the action with the intention for kickback from the deal.
“Allegedly seeking the withdrawal of cases against Bello Adoke, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Abubakar Aliyu and others involved in the Malabu scandal through his letters to former President Muhammadu Buhari, on the ground of lack of significant evidence to prove allegations of sharp practices against prominent players in OPL 245 oil deal, as reported by PremiumTimes on February 18, 2018.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has recovered the sum of $78million from this case and his office instituted cases on behalf of Nigeria in Italy and the United Kingdom against the same suspects.
Malami has finally confessed to a conflict of interest in his recent book, “Traversing the Thorny Terrain of Nigeria’s Justice Sector; my Travails and triumphs” (page 30) that “…..Muhammad Bello Adoke, former Attorney-General, gifted some books, an office desk and chairs while setting up my new office. Though a friend to my principal, Adoke and I had developed a direct relationship and because of how frequently I was in court, Adoke gave me files to handle….”. This personal and conflicted relationship with Adoke was never disclosed while pretending to discharge his official functions over the matter.”
