Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has asserted that corruption did not thrive under the leadership of late President Muhammadu Buhari, citing thousands of high-profile convictions and over $2 billion in recovered assets as proof of the administration’s firm anti-graft stance.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday night, following Buhari’s passing on Sunday, Malami dismissed public claims that the administration tolerated corruption.
“During the period of President Muhammadu Buhari, corruption was not thriving at all,” Malami said. “If you talk of convictions associated with high-profile corruption cases, the government recorded convictions in thousands.”
He highlighted the administration’s success in securing international recognition for its anti-corruption drive, noting that Buhari was named Africa’s anti-corruption champion by the African Union and commended by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
“Regardless of the parameters used in the assessment, Buhari has indeed achieved a lot,” he added.
Malami pointed to the administration’s recovery of over $2 billion in looted funds and the introduction of key financial transparency tools such as the Single Treasury Account (TSA) and Bank Verification Number (BVN), which he credited with plugging systemic leakages.
“He brought about the Single Treasury Account, which created a governance-wide visibility associated with funding the finances of the government,” Malami said.
While critics frequently accused the Buhari administration of shielding certain political allies from prosecution and ignoring court orders, Malami rejected such views, insisting the government operated within the legal bounds of the constitution.
“When you have a judgment and take a decision to appeal, while filing an application for stay of execution, you are operating within the rule of law,” he explained. “The determinant is not blind compliance, but whether you pursue available remedies through the judicial process.”
He also defended the controversial presidential pardons granted to former governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame, saying they were legal and justifiable.
“The law made provision for the possibility of state pardon in exceptional circumstances,” he said. “They were convicted, but the grant of pardon was lawful. The idea of blame associated with it does not arise.”
Reflecting on Buhari’s broader legacy, Malami described the late president as a man of integrity who ushered in significant reforms in governance, infrastructure, and national security.
“Buhari is a man that governed with integrity. Buhari was a man that instilled discipline in governance,” Malami said.
He praised Buhari’s economic leadership, citing the administration’s efforts to lift the country out of recession twice, boost local food production during the COVID-19 pandemic, and deliver long-delayed projects like the Second Niger Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“Even during COVID, Nigerians were motivated and supported to produce what they eat, which improved food security,” Malami noted.
Buhari, who died in London after a prolonged illness, was buried on Tuesday in Daura, Katsina State, with full military honours. His legacy, Malami insisted, will endure.
“Regardless of the way and manner you look at Buhari, he achieved a lot as far as the Nigerian state is concerned,” he concluded.
Chioma Kalu
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