Abubakar Malami, Ex-Minister of Justice
By Abdul Hassan
A Northern interest group, Arewa 100 Percent Focus, has called for the immediate release of detained former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
The group made the appeal in a statement issued in Abuja, signed by its National President, Dr Abubakar Fakai.
The group leader urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to comply with the order of Justice Babaginda Hassan of the FCT High Court in Abuja on Dec. 18, which granted him bail.
Fakai also called for an immediate halt to what he described as “selective justice.”
According to him, the anti-graft agency must investigate and prosecute corruption cases impartially, regardless of political affiliation or region.
He recalled that Justice S.C. Orji of the FCT High Court in Abuja had on Dec. 10, ordered the remand of Malami in EFCC custody for a 14-day period pending investigation.
Despite this, Malami’s lawyers filed an ex-parte bail application before Justice Hassan on Dec. 15.
This was however dismissed on Dec. 18 on the grounds that Malami was lawfully detained.
The court later granted bail to Malami, who has been in custody since Dec. 8, adopting the bail conditions earlier set by the EFCC to release him.
Periscope International reports that the EFCC had filed 16 counts against Malami, his son, Abubakar Malami, and Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Ltd.
The charges include money laundering, concealment, and unlawful acquisition of proceeds of illegal activity.
Malami is alleged to have fraudulently acquired assets worth more than N212 billion naira while he was Minister of Justice under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The EFCC had filed the charges after tracing 41 properties to him, which he allegedly acquired within eight years as Nigeria’s Minister of Justice.
The properties comprise hotels, residential buildings, lands, schools, and a printing press, are scattered across Kebbi, Kano and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The properties that he amassed in his Kebbi home state are said to be valued at more than N162 billion naira (N162,195,950,000).
His assets in Kano state are said to be worth more than N16 billion naira (N16,011,800,000).
Malami’s properties in the FCT are valued at over N34 billion naira (N34,685,000,000).
