Group calls for the arrest of Abubarkar Malami, Hadi Sirika and one other ex-minister

Group calls for the arrest of Abubarkar Malami, Hadi Sirika and one other ex-minister

The Niger Delta Youth Congress, Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation, Northern Youths Frontiers, National Movement for Democratic Change and 107 Anti-Corruption Crusade Groups, Wednesday called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately order the arrest of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice, Mr Abubarka Malami; former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Saadiyya Umar Farouk; and former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika.

They said trillions of naira of public funds were stolen under the watch of the four ex-ministers.

A joint statement signed by National Convener Niger Delta Youth Congress, Israel Uwejeyan; National Convener Movement for Democratic Change, Godfrey Osolase, and National Convener Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation, Bello Idowu, demanded that Bawa must step down.

The statement read in part, “We, like other concerned Nigerians, are worried by the enormity of accumulated corruption allegations mounting against top officials of the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We acknowledge the first step taken by the present administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards addressing our grievances by relieving Godwin Emefiele of his position as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor and subjecting him to an investigation, we nevertheless have serious reservations over the quality and calibre

Our major concern is that action is yet to be taken on other principal collaborators such as the former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Saadiyya Umar Farouk, and former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika. Indications are that between the four of them, trillions of naira of public funds have been lost to corrupt practices under various guises.

We call on President Bola Tinubu to urgently ensure the arrest of Abubakar Malami, Saadiyya Umar Farouk, Hadi Sirika, and others, and to quickly move to secure available evidence of corruption against them.

“We urge the President to constitute a more credible leadership of the EFCC, or in the alternative, set up an independent investigation panel of people of reputable integrity to conduct thorough and comprehensive investigations.