Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, has asserted that the assets so far traced to Abubakar Malami, Nigeria's former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, represent only a fraction of what was allegedly misappropriated.
Speaking at an event in Abuja where he received the Rule of Law and Courage Award from the Garki branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Maina dismissed the scale of the recovered assets, questioning, “What is N270bn?” He emphasized that authorities have only scratched the surface, stating, “Malami allegedly stole a lot of funds.
What the government has seen so far is not even one quarter.”Maina, drawing on his expertise in asset recovery, insisted that significantly more can be retrieved.
“We can recover these funds from Malami. There are more than what has been seen,” he declared.
He went on to praise the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for its approach to the matter, highlighting a commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.
“Yes, the government is doing the right thing. There must be accountability, transparency and the rule of law, which is what I see the government doing as against what the last,” Maina said, contrasting it sharply with the handling under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The comments come amid ongoing proceedings against Malami, who faces trial alongside family members on money laundering charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Properties valued at over N200 billion (with some reports citing figures around N217–270 billion) have been linked to him, believed to have been acquired during his tenure as AGF from 2015 to 2023.
Maina was recently released from prison after serving an eight-year sentence for money laundering convictions related to pension funds.
His statements add fresh pressure on the EFCC's recovery efforts in high-profile corruption cases as the administration continues to prioritize anti-graft initiatives.
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