The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has interrogated certain aides of Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, on allegations of selling presidential pardons.
The preparation of the presidential pardon list is suspected of being tainted by corruption.
President Muhammadu Buhari has pardoned former Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye and former Taraba State Governor Jolly Nyame, both of whom are serving jail terms for corruption.
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The president made the decision after receiving approval from the Council of State on April 15.
The president, vice-president, former heads of state, former chief justices, senate president, speaker, governors, and the federation’s attorney-general make up the council (AGF).
Following the proposal of the presidential prerogative of mercy committee, President Buhari submitted the names of 162 people to the council for advice.
Except for Francis Atuche, former managing director of Bank PHB, and two others, everyone on the list was pardoned.
The president’s decision to pardon the former governors has sparked debate online.
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Dariye and Nyame are yet to be released from jail, despite President Buhari’s pardon.
Several aides to Malami who were responsible for the preparation of the list are presently being questioned by the EFCC, according to sources at the ministry of justice.
“Of particular surprise is the presence of Atuche on the list that was presented to the council of state,” a ministry official said.
“There are several names that raised suspicion and the EFCC had to be called in to investigate what went down.
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“Mrs Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, director of the administration of criminal justice and reforms department under the justice ministry, is also being quizzed by the EFCC.”
A further report has it that the aides invited have been subjected to lie detector tests “and many of them are failing”.
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