The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) is investigating allegations of corruption and abuse of office against the immediate-past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
This was revealed in a memo dated July 19, 2023, signed by the Petition Registrar, ICPC, H.S. Folaranmi, on behalf of the ICPC Chairman, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye
The memo was in response to a petition filed by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, accusing the former AGF of corruption and highhandedness.
“I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your petition on the above subject and to inform you that necessary action is being taken on the matter,” the memo read.
HEDA, writing to the ICPC through its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, in its July 10, 2023, petition, had referenced a number of allegations against Malami.
It said, “Below are but a few of several corruption allegations against Mr. Abubakar Malami: On the 2nd day of May 2022, it was widely reported by various news outlets that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, distributed 30 car gifts worth over N1,000,000,000 to his supporters in Kebbi State.
“The car gifts included 14 Mercedes Benz, eight Prado SUVs, four Toyota Hilux, and four Lexus LX. Beneficiaries of the car gifts, as reported by Premium Times, an online publication, included social media influencers, executive members of Mr. Malami’s foundation, and women’s support groups.
“Two, 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 Crimes Commission, as reported by The Cable Newspaper on July 13, 2020. The AGF also authorized the sale of these vessels by companies under EFCC prosecution for a similar offense of illegal bunkering, and this action was admitted by the AGF through his Media assistant, pleading presumption of innocence on the part of the accused in a case being prosecuted by the Federal Government through the EFCC.”
The group also referenced the “alleged duplicity of payment of $16.9 million in fees to two of his friends for the recovery of the loot traced to a former Nigerian Head of State, Sani 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 Premium Times on the 10th of April, 2018.”
