An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mohammed Idris, has disclosed how the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, compromised cases of corruption in the country in a leaked audio recording.

In February of this year, Mr Malami suggested that President Muhammadu Buhari nominate Abdulrasheed Bawa as the current EFCC chairman.

In one of the numerous audio recordings, the EFCC employee was speaking with Abdulbari Yusuf, the younger brother of Tahir Yusuf, a retired rear admiral and former director of Navy Accounts who was facing corruption accusations.

Mr Idris, a lawyer, was also overheard giving Mr Yusuf’s brother advice on how to beat the anti-graft commission in the Court of Appeal and how to get money out of a certain account.

“If he has funds in any accounts linked to his BVN [Bank Verification Number], he should withdraw them as soon as possible.”
Even if he makes transfers, the EFCC will be able to track them. He should only take money out of one account and then put it into another,” he said.

Mr Yusuf had also named Mr Malami as the EFCC’s head, and the minister had ordered the unfreezing of “large accounts” under investigation by the commission.

“Malami now controls the EFCC. The commission is in his hands. Once Malami speaks, the account will be unfrozen. They are unfreezing suspects’ accounts, including the big cases,” the EFCC operative said.

The operative was referring to the EFCC freezing the account of the retired navy officer’s company, Aston, with N114 million during the investigation’s early stages.

He also revealed how the attorney general assigned a lawyer to the suspect to handle the matter. “Yes, Malami presented you to Ameh, so debriefing him will be impossible,” the EFCC officer explained.

In another audio clip, the operator is heard criticizing his colleagues for conducting comprehensive investigations on suspects, calling them “devilish and nasty sets of human beings.”

When Ibrahim Magu was chairman of the commission, it was learned that the ex-naval officer tried unsuccessfully to unfreeze the account.

Reports reveal that the account was recently unfrozen to enable them to quickly move out the money as advised by the EFCC operative.

Sources said owing to the retired military officer’s connection with the “top politicians”, his hotels in Kaduna and Zaria were recently unsealed by the EFCC.

All facts shows that Mr Yusuf is the owner of Grand Pinnacle Luxury Suites in Maiduguri.

Curiously, on the board of Grand Pinnacle Luxury Hotels Limited is Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari, the chairman Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes.

The EFCC, ICPC and NFIU are under the oversight coverage of Mr Kwari’s committee.

Background

In 2020, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the permanent forfeiture of about N500 million the retired naval officer stole while serving as a military officer.

The EFCC had told the court that three out of the seven accounts were operated under the name of a company, Bitmas Enterprise, in Zenith Bank while two were held in Mr Yusuf’s name in the defunct Skye Bank, now Polaris Bank.

In 2018, after the court granted an order for interim forfeiture of the money and ordered the anti-corruption agency to publish the order in a national daily for any interested party to claim the money, Mr Yusuf filed a counter-affidavit, claiming ownership of the money with claims that it was sourced through legitimate avenues.

However, the court disregarded Mr Yusuf’s claims, whose former job description in the Naval administration involved verifying and authenticating documents before payments while keeping custody of accounts balance.

Investigations by EFCC revealed that the ex-naval officer was linked to seven accounts (corporate and personal) with the following details: In Zenith Bank accounts 1011701670 (N32,268,758.50); 9000617386 (N320,132,530.57); 1011904172 (N2,414,034.39); 5360132431 ($34,875.00); 5060017083 (£15,050.00) – all held in the name of Bitmas Enterprises.

Two other accounts – 2120012772 ($57,080.38) and 1060100885 (N2,390,987.69) – were held in Skye Bank in Mr Yusuf’s name.

It is biggathered that documents also revealed that the embattled naval officer had made a proposal for a plea bargain to the EFCC, allegedly volunteered to forfeit N200 million, which the commission had rejected.

Reactions

Umar Gwandu, the spokesman for the minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said the EFCC operative in question should provide evidence of the minister’s interference in the case.

“Since he said the account would be opened if the minister gives orders, did he also give evidence of the minister’s order? The word “if” makes his statement conditional. If he has evidence of the minister’s involvement in the case, then he should provide it.

“You know some people are name-dropping the minister in order to gain favours or to swindle people,” Mr Gwandu added.

Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC’s spokesperson, did not answer to a follow-up question on the matter.