Malami In The Eye Of The Storm: How Corrupt Is Nigeria’s Attorney Nigeria? “London Shopping Spree”

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From the days when Nigeria returned to democracy under the leadership of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, the office of the Attorney General and Federal Ministry of Justice has served a hotbed for legitimization of corrupt activities. This is stretching from when Aondoakaa held sway of the office to when Adoke served the office. Both Aondoakaa and Adoke, at the conclusion of their tenures as Attorney General, were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] for financial crimes. Information available to 247ureports.com obtained from competent sources indicates the present Attorney General maybe towing the same path as his predecessors.    

This latest revelation comes against the backdrop of Nigerians toiling from the agonies of Covid-19, low oil prices and a lack of electricity. Exclusives photos obtained by this news medium reveal how Attorney-General Malami’s team enjoys the spoils of London under the guise of serving Nigeria.

“The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, loves to tell the Nigerian people how he is a crusading corruption crime fighter, yet, his approach is far from consistent” declares a source familiar with the activities of the Attorney General. The source adds that “Malami’s hard-charging ways have been reprimanded by U.S. Senators – who worry over his big ‘pay day’ with the Abacha loot – who were concerned that the Abacha loot could fall back into the hands of the former Dictator’s family and allies because of Malami’s dealings with them. After all, Malami went so far as to even describe the stolen Abacha loot as “assets,” which as we know couldn’t be further from the truth. Those monies belong to the good people of Nigeria; not his friends like Governor Bagudu”.

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As gathered, Malami’s comments on the recovered money looted by Sani Abacha angered patriotic Nigerians and resulted in denunciations from the victims of the former dictator, and also from civil society, opposition politicians and the media. “There was grave worry that he intended to give the cash back to the late dictator’s family despite assurances to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria this was not the case”.

Malami was quick to react in defense of his comments. His attempt however carried a mixed bag. Instead of offering a defense, he shifted the discussion to his record on fighting corruption. He noted that anyone involved in corruption whether they be “members of the ruling or opposition parties and otherwise are in no way spared” from the reach of his office. Pounding his chest, he added that the “numerical data of recorded judicial convictions” proves it.

But cursory examination of the ‘numerical data’ as espoused by the Attorney General  proves otherwise.

It is public knowledge, the 2019 Corruption Perception Index, released this year, ranked Nigeria the fourth most corrupt country in West Africa, and 146 out of the 180 enlisted countries in the world. A ranking that falls directly under the Attorney-General’s tenure.

Other corruption cases that linger mysteriously unresolved also point away from the Attorney General’s chest thumbing exposition. The famous Malabu Oil and Gas deal scandal where over $1bn USD was looted, and the case of Senate President Danjuma Goje, who was implicated in the theft and mismanagement of public funds while he was governor of Gombe State – serve as typical case examples.  According to Transparency International’s Nigeria representative, Mr Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, the Attorney-General and his team of “anti-graft” investigators, looked the other way.

Another case example is the infamous P&ID saga. A multi-billion dollar dispute that pits the Attorney-General and his government against an Irishman, a dead man and his estate, and a New York hedge fund. Interestingly, on this case, Malami shows no sign of looking the other way. “He has been loud and bullish”. What is not clear is the reason what is different about this case to make him so passionate.

Perhaps 247ureports.com may have found the answer.

The series of explosive photos showing Malami and his team on the sidelines of a recent P&ID court hearing in London provides the answer. According to a source, “the individuals in the photographs are living the highlife”. The photos show the large delegation that accompanied Malami spending big dollars at high-end French luxury brand Louis Vuitton and the Italian fashion house Gucci, and the loading up on the pricey iPhones in glamorous Apple flagship stores.

A real contrast.

When Nigerians are suffering from Covid-19, where 55% of the population lacks access to electricity, and the country needs a bailout from the IMF, Malami and his team to fly to London and other high-end stops across the world at taxpayer expense.

It begs a question.

Whether these trips to London are the reason some cases are most interesting to the Attorney-General, compared to others? Could it be the reason why the government is dragging out a long case against P&ID? Could it be they can simply guarantee more expensive trips to London for “necessary” court hearings and meetings?

This is especially important as Malami claims P&ID is a ‘vulture fund’. Who is really the vulture?