On Tuesday, Nigeria’s attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, said it was his foundations that sh...
On Tuesday, Nigeria’s attorney general of the federation and
minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, said it was his foundations that shared
200 Mercedes and Toyota SUVs to long-term workers of the NGOs and not officials
of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi.
In an interactive session with journalists on Tuesday in
Birnin Kebbi, Mr Malami claimed the expensive vehicles were distributed by
Khadi Malami and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative,
non-governmental organisations he had been “associated with” over the years.
“As a person with some associates, neither I nor a friend of
mine shared any vehicle to any delegate across the state,” explained Mr Malami.
“Let me state categorically that some of the foundations, as Khadi Malami and
Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative I am associated with over
time, have workers who have demonstrated a greater capacity in the development
of the state.”
However, checks by Peoples Gazette showed that the minister
founded Khadi Malami and Khadimiyya for Justice and Development Initiative.
According to Mr Malami, supporters of his NGOs distributed
the vehicles to long-term workers in the foundation.
“In appreciation of what the workers of the associations
have been doing in the state and beyond, the supporters of the associations,
collectively and individually, decided to solicit for support from well-meaning
Nigerians that have been supporting the NGOs in order to reward those that have
been manning the affairs of the NGOs,” he disclosed.
Although Mr Malami admitted he had an interactive session
with APC stakeholders some days before the vehicles were distributed, he said
it was not connected to the distribution of the vehicles.
“I know I had an interactive session with APC stakeholders
some days ago and had accepted calls from Kebbi people to run for the state
governorship; the meeting was not for distribution of vehicles to any APC
stakeholder,” he maintained. “None of the APC stakeholder or delegate in Kebbi
State was given any vehicle by me, and I have not yet donated any vehicle to
any delegate.”
Meanwhile, the minister claimed he faced many attacks after
the vehicles were shared to the beneficiaries.
“At this moment, I have experienced a barrage of attacks,
left, right and centre, some are local and others international, an attack that
has to do with an allegation that I shared many expensive vehicles to delegates
of APC,” he told journalists.
The Gazette had reported that the 200 vehicles comprised 60
Toyota Prado SUVs, 65 Toyota RAV4 SUVs, 35 Mercedes Benz GLK 350 SUVs and 40
Lexus LX SUVs, according to a Kebbi politician.
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