The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has denied reports in the media claiming that he had bought a multi-million-naira mansion for his newly married son in Abuja.
On Friday, an online newspaper that is not DAILY EPISODE had published a report, claiming that the Minister of Justice had gifted his eldest son, AbdulAziz, who wedded on Saturday, a N300million mansion in Abuja.
The newspaper also claimed that the wedding ceremony, which took place in Kano State, flouted the safety protocol imposed by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
“Abdul Aziz, who graduated from a university in Cyprus in 2018, is known among his circle to lead a flamboyant lifestyle purportedly fuelled by public funds at the disposal of his father, who remains one of the most powerful and influential figures in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,” the newspaper also alleged.
However, Mr Malami, in a swifter reaction through his spokesman, Umar Gwandu, on Saturday, said “God knows that I did not purchase any house for him in Abuja. Not even a rented house was secured for my son in Abuja, because he has no plan to live in Abuja.”
“The allegation of hiring private jets for the marriage was preposterous. It is common knowledge that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had neither a father nor mother anywhere in Nigeria to be conveyed to Kano for the wedding.
“Who, then the Attorney-General is using the chartered flight to convey? Which jets are chartered? Who paid for the charter? Through which means was the money paid?
“It is one of such libelous publications of which Sahara reporters is commonly known for targeted at selected few for unsubstantiated fabricated allegations while overlooking more serious reasonable allegations visibly open against its favoured sectional kinsmen,” the statement noted.
The minister also denied the allegation that the wedding Fatiha flouted COVID-19 protocol of social distancing, saying that the ceremony, which took place on Saturday in Kano, was marked low key.
According to him, “any other activity before or after the wedding Fatiha is not connected with the marriage and we, therefore, disassociate ourselves from it in its entirety”.
He said: “The wedding Fatiha of the eldest son of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abdulazeez Abubakar Malami took place under strict observance of the protocols and guidelines of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19.
“Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN thanked friends, well-wishers and the general public for their prayers, goodwill for the wedding Fatiha which took place Saturday, 11th July, 2020 in Kano.
“Mr Malami expressed appreciation for the understanding demonstrated due to COVID-19 pandemic the wedding Fatiha was low-keyed.
“Earlier the Minister has communicated in writing notifying friends and colleagues that due to the current situation of COVID-19 he only solicited for their prayers and goodwill.”
DAILY EPISODE
