Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami over the alleged SUV gifts he shared to leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Kebbi State.
A video of exotic cars recently surfaced on the internet with claims that the Kebbi governorship aspirants distributed them to politicians of repute to influence the APC primary elections in the state.
Reacting, Malami’s spokesman, Umar Gwandu, claimed, “It was friends and associates of Malami who donated and distributed vehicles to long term workers in the Khadimiyya Foundation.”
Meanwhile, HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said it is illegal enough that Malami declared his ambition to succeed Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi in May 2023, without resigning his position as a minister according to the Electoral Act.
HURIWA, kicking against Malami’s claims that it was his friends and associates who donated and distributed the vehicles, the group however challenged the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice to publish the list of his friends that donated those cars with also receipts of purchase.
HURIWA’s statements reads in part;
“The excuse of the AGF through his aide is the same ambiguous and one-sided strategy that all politicians use during campaigns.
“They use phantom groups as an alleged shield to divert what is alleged to be ill-gotten money and fund campaign expenses, as corroborated by Transparency International recently which raised the alarm that support groups use stolen funds to purchase exotic cars for party delegates and party forms politicians.
“It is very suspicious that the so-called chief law officer who has been in charge of the recovery of foreign loots including those of the late Sani Abacha and James Ibori is involved in this bogus donation of cars to party delegates even if remotely through his affiliates and friends.
“He could have dissuaded those so-called friends not to proceed with this illegality given his frontline role as the Premier Cabinet-level officer in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari that lay claims to fighting corruption.
“The EFCC must probe Malami and his so-called friends whose names are not mentioned by the AGF’s spokesman. Who are they? What is their pedigree to afford 200 lush SUVs?
“The anti-corruption agency must quit its keeping cool whilst ministers like Malami allegedly fritter millions buying cars for delegates, buying nomination forms. So we aren’t indicating the minister of Justice but we are of the humble opinion that there have to be FULL DISCLOSURES on the donors if any.
“It is also important to state that the EFCC is complicit in corruption by refusing to probe the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi; and other serving ministers, governors, and appointees who have purchased the exorbitant N100 million nomination and expression of interest forms of the ruling APC.
“The silence and inaction of the Rasheed Bawa-led EFCC can instigate a big protest worst than EndSARS if nothing is done to reassure Nigerians that EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission are not already hijacked by corrupt politicians.”
