By Jonah Israel
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described Abubakar Malami, the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as a "devil’s workshop" in his newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future. Obasanjo claimed that corruption reached its peak during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, with Malami playing a central role in facilitating corrupt practices and discouraging efforts to combat corruption.
Nigeria Daily Chronicles gathered that Obasanjo’s comments were particularly focused on the controversial pardons granted to two former governors—Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and Jolly Nyame of Taraba State—who had been convicted for embezzling billions of naira in state funds. Dariye was serving a 10-year sentence for misappropriating N1.126 billion, while Nyame was serving a 12-year sentence for stealing N1.64 billion.
In April 2022, the Council of State, led by President Buhari, approved their pardons on the grounds of age and ill-health. Both governors were released from Kuje Correctional Facility in August 2022. However, Obasanjo alleged that Malami had strongly influenced the decision to grant the pardons and that the claims of life-threatening illnesses were fabricated as part of corrupt dealings.
Malami, in response, dismissed these allegations, stating that the process of granting pardons is strictly governed by law. He clarified that the prerogative of mercy is overseen by a committee, not the Attorney General, and his role was limited to presenting the committee’s report to the Council of State. As such, he asserted that the actions relating to the pardons were the responsibility of the committee, not his.
The former Minister of Justice also criticized the increasing trend of unfounded corruption allegations against public figures, calling for more detailed and substantiated evidence to support such claims. He emphasized that for an allegation to be credible, it must include specific details such as amounts involved, facilitators, and methods.
“It is only reasonable to provide adequate particulars where allegations of corruption are made,” Malami said. He argued that without such specifics, allegations remain baseless, mischievous, and without legal grounds for action.
Malami concluded by stressing the need for an evidence-based approach when making allegations of corruption, stating that many such claims, both locally and internationally, lack the necessary detail for any meaningful legal pursuit.
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