‘I didn’t breach public interest’ — Malami breaks silence on Maina saga

Abubakar Malami, attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, says his involvement in the controversial recall of Abdulrasheed Maina into the civil service did not “breach public interest”.

Malami, Winifred Oyo-Ita, head of the federal civil service, and Abdulrahman Dambazau, minister of interior, were involved in Maina’s posting to the interior ministry.

Maina, ex-chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), was accused of being involved in pension fraud running into over N100 billion.

After being declared wanted by the police, Maina went into hiding and reportedly fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He was dismissed from the federal civil service in 2013 for absconding from duty.

Malami — denying any wrongdoing in the same vein as Oyo-Ita and Dambazau — described the saga as a “grand conspiracy”.

The attorney-general said he will tell Nigerians “the truth” about the incident when he responds to the senate’s summon.

“I am a legal practitioner, who is always guided by law and public interest and will therefore not do anything that deviates from the law or breaches public interest,” Malami told Vanguard.

“I believe that Nigerians are entitled to know the truth in the entire saga and I am ready to speak directly to them when I appear before the Senate since I have been summoned by the legislature, which is investigating the matter.

“I will not however talk until I get clearance from my principal on the matter and I look forward to addressing anxious Nigerians on the matter when I appear before the senators,” the minister said.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday sealed off four houses and two companies allegedly belonging to Maina.