By Spear News
The former Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Okoi Obono-Obla, has alleged that the former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and the Justice Ministry actively sabotaged his panel’s work from its inception.
In a detailed account published on his social media handle on Wednesday, Obono-Obla shared a narrative of institutional resistance and obstruction that left the anti-corruption panel under-resourced and isolated.
While Obono-Obla’s statement did not explicitly name Abubakar Malami, it accused the Office of the Attorney‑General of the Federation. Notably, Malami (SAN) served as Attorney General and Minister of Justice throughout the period referenced.
Obono-Obla revealed that upon his appointment in 2017, he was provided with no operational resources. Tasked with assembling a legal team, he was directed by the then-AGF Malami to liaise with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Mohammed Etsu.
“Despite months of persistent follow‑up and pressure, Mr. Etsu eventually informed me bluntly that there were no lawyers available in the Directorate to be seconded to the Panel. I was shocked,” Obono-Obla wrote.
He concluded this was “a deliberate effort to frustrate the Panel from taking off, and that the Office of the Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice appeared to be involved in this conspiracy.”
The tension escalated in December 2017 when Obono-Obla received a leaked letter from Malami’s office prohibiting him from speaking to the press or investigating cases without authorization. When confronted, Malami’s Special Adviser on Media stated he had acted “on the direct instructions of his principal.”
“I considered this a clear act of hostility,” Obono-Obla stated, adding that despite assurances, the matter was never resolved, forcing him to operate “strictly in accordance with the law establishing the Panel, rather than according to the whims and caprices of any individual.”
The allegations come at a sensitive time for Abubakar Malami, who served as AGF and Minister of Justice from 2015 to 2023 under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Malami is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged corruption and abuse of office during his tenure. While not yet formally charged, he has been detained by the commission for failing to meet his bail condition.
Key areas of EFCC interest reportedly include: The handling of multi-billion naira assets recovered from convicted former Governor Diezani Alison-Madueke.
-The controversial sale of oil vessels seised by the Federal Government, which was allegedly concluded under questionable terms.
-Alleged award of lucrative contracts to companies linked to his associates. The role of his office in the Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID) $9.6 billion saga, where suspicions arose about the settlement process.
Malami has consistently denied any wrongdoing, labeling the investigations as politically motivated. However, his successor as AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, has adopted a more cooperative stance with anti-graft agencies, potentially paving the way for a more rigorous probe.
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