Convicted Ex-Pension Boss Calls for Probe of Former Justice Minister Over Corruption Allegations

Abdulrasheed Maina, the convicted former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, has publicly demanded an investigation into former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, accusing him of large-scale theft of recovered public funds.

In a video statement, Maina alleged that the scale of corruption involving asset recoveries during past administrations is far greater than currently known. He specifically pointed to Malami, claiming the former justice minister “allegedly stole a lot of funds.”

“What government has seen so far is not even one quarter,” Maina stated, leveraging his self-proclaimed expertise in tracing public funds. “We can recover these funds from Malami; they are more than what has been seen.”

The controversial figure, who is currently serving a prison sentence for pension fraud, expressed support for the current government’s accountability efforts. He contrasted it with the previous administration, where he claims the alleged misconduct occurred.

Maina further wove a narrative of high-level pressure, recalling an incident in Abu Dhabi where he claimed he was urged by officials, including the late President Muhammadu Buhari, to return to Nigeria. He alleged that pressure was later applied through his family.

His allegations extended to the former leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), claiming that 227 properties recovered under former acting chairman Ibrahim Magu were “shared among Magu and his cohorts and Malami.” He cited this as a reason for the reported fallout between Malami and Magu.

The claims add a new layer of controversy to Nigeria’s ongoing struggles with high-profile corruption cases and the complex legacy of its asset recovery programs. There has been no immediate public response from Abubakar Malami to the allegations.