Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has denied claims made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that he played a role in enabling corruption during the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
Malami stated that presidential pardons are strictly legal matters handled by a committee, and his role was only to present the committee’s findings.
Malami made these remarks in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH while responding to allegations found in Obasanjo’s newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future. The book, one of two released in celebration of Obasanjo’s 88th birthday, accuses the Buhari administration of fostering corruption, with Malami allegedly involved in questionable practices.
Obasanjo stated, “The most atrocious waste, enthronement of corruption, and discouragement of officials fighting corruption” occurred during Buhari’s tenure. He also described Malami as a “devil’s workshop.”
One of the key issues raised in the book was the presidential pardon granted to two former governors—Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and Jolly Nyame of Taraba State. Both had been convicted of corruption but were released after Buhari approved their pardons in April 2022, following recommendations from the Council of State. The justification for their release was based on age and health concerns, though Obasanjo claimed these reasons were false and that corruption influenced the decision.
According to Obasanjo, it was later discovered that neither Dariye nor Nyame had life-threatening illnesses, as initially stated. He further alleged that Malami played a major role in convincing Buhari to grant the pardons for personal gain.
Malami, however, rejected these accusations, stressing that presidential pardons follow a structured legal process.
“Generally speaking, the issue of pardon is a legal matter governed by law and existing legislation, in which a committee on the prerogative of mercy—not the Attorney General—is responsible,” Malami said.
He explained that his duty as Attorney General was only to present the committee’s report to the Council of State, which ultimately made the decision.
“The responsibility for actions and inactions associated with the committee’s recommendations lies with the committee, not the Attorney General,” Malami added.
He also spoke out against the rising trend of corruption allegations against public officials, both in Nigeria and abroad, urging that such claims should be supported by concrete evidence.
“Our system and polity are characterised by wild and unsubstantiated allegations of corruption relating to official acts of governance, both locally and internationally. We have witnessed unguarded allegations even against our well-respected presidents during international media engagements. The Hard Talk interview of President Obasanjo is a relevant case in point,” he noted.
Malami insisted that any claims of corruption should be backed by specific details, including names, amounts, and dates, rather than vague accusations.
“It is only reasonable to provide adequate particulars where allegations of corruption are made. Who gives what? How much was given? Who facilitated the bribery? Through what medium was the bribe given? On what date and time? These details are always necessary to establish reasonable suspicion,” he said.
He concluded by stating that corruption allegations without proper evidence are baseless and cannot hold up in legal proceedings.
