Former Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, has challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to intensify efforts at recovering more assets allegedly linked to former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

Maina, who spoke in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists after receiving a Rule of Law and Courage Award, insisted that what has so far been recovered from Malami represented only a fraction that is “not even one quarter” of what was allegedly misappropriated.

“Malami allegedly stole a lot of funds. What the government has seen so far is not even one quarter. We can recover these funds from Malami. There is more than what has been seen. What is N270 billion? Maina said, adding that accountability, transparency and adherence to the rule of law must be upheld.

He also commended the current administration for what he described as a stronger commitment to transparency, noting that more recoveries were possible if investigations were deepened.

Maina, who recounted events during the last administration, alleged that top government officials, including the late President Muhammadu Buhari, former Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, former National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and Abubakar Malami, once tried to persuade him to return to Nigeria while he was abroad.

According to him, the pressure intensified because former President Goodluck Jonathan had credited him with helping to recover N1.63 trillion during his tenure alongside 227 properties, a claim Maina said could be corroborated by former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Meanwhile, Malami’s office has pushed back strongly against the allegations and the conduct of security agencies handling his case. In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Bello Doka, the former AGF’s office accused the EFCC and the Department of State Services (DSS) of actions aimed at frustrating his constitutional right to fair hearing.

The statement alleged that after Malami was granted bail by the Federal High Court, the EFCC delayed submitting his international passports, a key bail condition, for about a week, prolonging his detention.

It further claimed that immediately after his release from Kuje Custodial Centre, Malami was rearrested by the DSS and detained for five days without access to his lawyers or family, and that the DSS detention coincided with a critical period when Malami was expected to prepare his defence in an EFCC interim forfeiture case, thereby impairing his ability to consult with counsel and prepare filings.

The office described the sequence of arrests and detentions as a “pattern, where arrest precedes investigation,” warning that such practices undermine court orders, due process and fundamental human rights.

Malami, who is currently standing trial alongside members of his family on money-laundering charges, was recently granted bail in the sum of N500 million.

His office maintained that he remained ready to defend himself in court and called on all state institutions to respect constitutional guarantees and the rule of law.