When the unending accusations and counteraccusations of corruption escapades of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele were let out of the covering closet into rattling revelations of thievery, I thought there would never be a case as dastardly, damning, and stenchy as that of the former Apex Bank Governor. Emefiele was the first CBN Governor who, while seated sweet over Nigeria’s cash cache, desirously wanted to become President by all means necessary. His wealth of illegally amassed assets while he governed Nigeria’s wealth well is a far cry from the remuneration he earned from his day job as CBN head Huncho. Diversions of government funds running into billions, mismanagement of Nigeria’s Social Investment Program totalling another hundreds of billions; illegal economic crimes of National security dimension, money laundering, and unwholesome activities through proxies, remain some of the allegations against the Bible-clutching Delta force of corruption. Ugly stories of bold and blatant stealing sprees are his taunting testimonials. Emefiele may be a free man on bail today, but his wrestle with justice is far from over. If Emefiele represents the South in corrupt public servants who have questions to answer, the next fella is his northern counterpart, an ambassador of brutal barracuda of financial waywardness.
Recently and out of the blue, the story of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, filled the crevices of the news cycle. 16 counts of money laundering and conspiracy involving billions of naira have been filed by the EFCC at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The charge sheet accuses Malami, his son, and an associate of concealing the origins of funds through corporate accounts and property purchases between 2015 and 2025.
EFCC alleged more than N8bn/N8.7bn in one filing and, in another valuation, about N212.8bn tied to over 30 properties in Abuja, Kano, and Kebbi. These properties range from acres of land, University campuses, a fleet of posh hotels, and much more. The question Nigerians are asking is how a public servant who earned about 60-80m as salary in eight years was able to fund the acquisition of hotels valued at N12.9bn and a university campus valued at N56bn? That’s the core of the reasonable suspicion of unlawful proceeds’ argument Justice Joyce Abdulmalik is applying in this case.
All three accused people have pleaded not guilty. In January, the court granted bail at N500m each with property sureties in Abuja. Last week, Justice Joyce ordered final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to Malami to the Federal Government, ruling that EFCC showed reasonable suspicion they were proceeds of unlawful activity and Malami failed to show a lawful income source. Malami is crying foul. He has described the probe as politically motivated and a witch-hunt, linked to his defection from APC to ADC and past feud with EFCC leadership over the Salami panel.
Can you believe that this fella was once warming up to run for the office of governor of Kebbi State? That’s what they often do. They steal black-and-blue while they serve the country they have thrown into serfdom. And then they gun for a bigger position where scrutiny is made impossible because of gubernatorial immunity as they serve and steal. We are waiting to see what becomes of these tales of corruption. Corrupt men and women have always killed Nigeria softly.
I call the revelations of whooping amassment of wealth and a fleet of properties connected to Malami as ‘alarming’. He is Alarming Malami! Aside from the fact that those revelations alarmed ordinary Nigerians, a few people who worked in the Buhari administration are also alarmed that the Attorney General, who earned less than N1m monthly, became a millionaire in less than eight years in public office. It is important to note that Malami has not been convicted of a crime. At least, not yet. But public service in Nigeria has historically been an avenue to get rich quick, and a commodious conduit and fecund farmland that allows corruption to fester without hindrance. Brazen stealing of public funds festers for the same reason mould does. It’s not because people are necessarily evil, but because conditions are perfect for these mean-spirited acts, consequences are weak for the offences, and accountability for the culprits almost non-existent.
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Escapades of corruption are part of Nigeria’s long and torturous history. Pint-by-pint and platelet-by-platelet, our country is haemorrhaging off glowing opportunities for growth and progress because of the pervasively pulverising windstorm of corruption. Discussing the nauseating, inexpiable misbehaviour turns my stomach. Sometimes I ask myself if these people are human enough to be called Nigerians. A patriot does not hurt his or her nation the way many of these foul fellas do.
Some people in government seem to have been born, christened, and baptised into debauchery of corruption. These are beings who have also learned the art swifter and smarter than their Mephistophelian masters and mentors. Their fixation is about money and how much glittering gold they can amass. While some of us (very few) are determined to fight corruption with sincerity, the best way we can; others fight for fresh breath and the thriving of the monster with determined dexterity, and agents of corruption and depravity on the one hand, are waging a boisterous blitz against the spines of the nation’s economy and bringing everything down gradually into the abyss of nothingness.
It is in the news, and nobody has denied that more than 80 per cent of the oil we are producing is being stolen. Who is stealing the oil and what do they want to do with the money? Stealing is part of the Nigerian government culture. Public servants steal public funds; they steal pension funds from retirees and strip older folk naked. They steal from workers by denying them their salaries. They steal the futures of generations yet unborn, and there is no comeuppance. Big thieves always get away with stealing. A country that should be the continental fountainhead has become a pinnata of disgrace. Daily and disgracefully, she glides crabwise with dimming hope and fading dreams. Many men and women in power are provocateurs of perversion; wanton breakers of rules they made; and saboteurs of the existentialism of a nation going somewhere.
Between 1960 and 2005, $20tn was stolen by public office holders. Stealing continues till today. We may not know who’s stealing what and how much until Tinubu leaves office. I am very sure that even this president may be shocked at some findings in the aftermath. Many present-day Nigerian leaders are largely arrogant. In power, they believe everything, including government property, is their personal possessions. Life is all about them and the massive wealth they acquire through corruption. In Nigeria, poverty is still alive and growing as crime rates continue to spike furiously. Lives of many citizens are stalled and stuck in reprehensible ruts.
About Alarming Malami, I hope the case will not go down like very many others where the prosecution and judiciary only frequently bark, but not a bit of a bite from their clenched and obtuse incisors.
X-@FolaOjotweet
