Malami And The Curse Of History

Malami And The Curse Of History

By Sani Faruk

In what appears to be his first visit to Kebbi State since the corruption allegations against him began to gain traction, Abubakar Malami, the erstwhile Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, was treated to a reception that sent the internet into overdrive.

In the viral video, his convoy was allowed through the heart of Birnin-Kebbi, the state capital of Kebbi state, before groups of young people reportedly gathered along the route, chanting “barawo bai mulki”, a Hausa expression loosely translated as “a thief cannot govern.” The chants, captured in viral videos circulating on social media, have been interpreted by many observers as a reflection of growing public frustration with political figures facing serious corruption allegations who dare to imagine they could run for public office.

This incident, coming at this time when Malami is facing intense scrutiny following investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into a vast portfolio of properties allegedly linked to him, is not a coincidence.

This is more so considering, just around the same period that the video of the protest hit the internet, another video surfaced online, this time, an interview granted by former Jigawa State governor and prominent PDP stalwart, Sule Lamido. In the interview aired by DCL Hausa, Lamido revisited what he described as the political persecution he faced during Malami’s tenure as Attorney General.

Lamido alleged that he was targeted for investigation primarily because he refused to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the height of the political realignments of Buhari and Malami’s era. In a tone that combined frustration and irony, the former governor contrasted the modest properties attributed to him, for which he was harassed on trumped up corruption charges, with the vast portfolio that investigators say is linked to Malami.

The contrast, Lamido suggested, raises troubling questions about power, accountability, and the use of state institutions for political ends. Yet, for Lamido, the battle was swift, transparent and without the every drama that has characterised Malami’s cat and mouse game with the EFCC.

Indeed, the EFCC’s ongoing probe has uncovered what investigators describe as a complex network of high-value assets allegedly connected to Malami. According to court filings and investigative reports, the anti-graft agency has traced dozens of properties to the former Attorney General across Kebbi State, Kano State, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Among the properties reportedly under investigation are luxury residential estates, hotels, commercial complexes, schools, factories, and a printing press. One of the most prominent assets mentioned in the investigation is a private university project identified as Rayhaan University in Birnin Kebbi, which investigators claim is linked to the former minister.

Investigators have also reportedly identified multiple luxury hotels and residential estates in Birnin Kebbi, extensive landed properties and mansions in Abuja, as well as commercial buildings and industrial facilities in Kano. In total, the EFCC says it has traced over 41 high-value properties valued at roughly ₦212 billion to Malami and entities believed to be connected to him. Court documents further allege that some of these properties were acquired through proxies and companies used to conceal the origin of funds.

In addition to the asset investigation, the Federal Government has filed multiple counts of money laundering against Malami, his son Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe. The charges stem from alleged laundering of funds exceeding ₦1.014 billion, which prosecutors claim were routed through corporate entities to disguise their origin. For many observers, these revelations present a stark contrast with the image Malami projected during his years in office.

As the nation’s chief law officer between 2015 and 2023, Malami wielded enormous influence over Nigeria’s justice system. His office supervised high-profile corruption prosecutions, initiated legal actions against political opponents, and often positioned itself as a defender of the anti-corruption agenda of the administration he served.

However, revelations now show that his tenure was also marked by controversies, ranging from allegations of selective prosecution to claims that political considerations sometimes influenced legal decisions. It is within this context that Lamido’s recent remarks resonate with many Nigerians.

The former governor’s reflections paint a picture of a once-powerful official who aggressively pursued political adversaries while allegedly accumulating immense wealth behind the scenes. Whether those allegations ultimately stand in a court of law remains a matter for the judiciary to determine. Nevertheless, the political optics are already damaging for Malami’s obsessive pursuit of power in Kebbi.

Not even Malami’s desperate attempt to frame the investigations against him as politically motivated has been of any help to him. If anything, his insistence that he is being persecuted for leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aligning himself with opposition political forces seems to be chugging away at whatever little credibility he has left.

While such claims are not uncommon in Nigeria’s political landscape, especially where corruption probes are often interpreted through partisan lenses, the weight of the allegations against Malami makes the argument difficult for many citizens to accept at face value. After all, the justice system may operate strictly on evidence and legal procedure, but the court of public opinion operates on memory. And as we know, memory is often unforgiving.

For many Nigerians, it appears contradictory that a man who once presided over the nation’s legal machinery, and who oversaw the prosecution of numerous political figures, now finds himself in the position of defending his own actions under similar scrutiny. This is precisely why the reception he received in Kebbi struck such a symbolic chord.

Although, politics in Nigeria can be remarkably forgiving. There are evidence of public figures accused of wrongdoing managing to reinvent themselves, return to the political stage, and sometimes even win higher office. But that forgiveness usually requires time, humility, and a convincing demonstration that lessons have been learned. None of these can be said in the case of Malami.

This is what the recent episode suggests. The message is that many young people in Kebbi state and indeed across Nigeria, are no longer willing to extend such indulgence so easily. Their chants, spontaneous or otherwise, reflect a deeper frustration with a political culture in which powerful figures appear untouchable while ordinary citizens bear the consequences of systemic corruption.

If anything, the unfolding saga surrounding Malami illustrates a timeless political truth that power is temporary, yet the consequences of actions taken while in power often linger far longer than expected.

For a man who once stood at the apex of Nigeria’s legal system, the irony is difficult to ignore. The very machinery of accountability that he once controlled is now the same system examining his own conduct.

In the end, the real verdict will not only come from the courts. It will also come from history, and from the citizens whose trust public officials are sworn to protect. Let the Malami fall from grace be a lesson, that power is nothing without control.

Faruk writes from Abuja