The Attorney
General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, on
Tuesday, explained why the Federal Government could not arrest sponsors of the
quit notice that was previously issued against Igbos residing in the northern
part of the country.
Malami, SAN, said the government resisted pressure
to go after leaders of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, after it gave due
consideration to “security implications” of arresting them.
However, the AGF said the government would not
hesitate to wield the big stick against anyone or group found to have engaged
in any form of lawlessness in any part of the country.
According to him, “Government considered the
security implications on the issue. Let me state that government is alive to
its responsibility and whoever is found wanting will be prosecuted. This
administration is determined to provide good governance and promote justice,
peace and fairness”.
The AGF spoke on the issue shortly after he
established an Investigation Unit in the Federal Ministry of Justice, with a
mandate to investigate “sensitive and important cases”.
Malami blamed the rift between him and the Acting
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim
Magu over prosecution of high profile cases, on negative media reports, though
he admitted that shallow investigation was a major reason why some cases were
thrown out by the courts.
He said that the new unit that was established in
the Ministry of Justice will henceforth “coordinate and form part of every
investigation in Nigeria”, saying the move became necessary in view of apparent
lack of “legal expertise in the conduct and process of investigations by the
various security agencies in Nigeria”.
The AGF insisted that the new unit would address
those anomalies leading that not only led to frequent loss of court cases by
the prosecuting agencies, but equally the “consistent rejection of
vital/relevant evidence of the course of prosecution.”
The Justice Minister however declined to specify
the agencies whose pending court cases may likely be taken over by the new
unit.
However, aside the EFCC, other prosecuting agencies
directly under the AGF’s supervision include the Independent Corrupt Practices
and other related offences Commission, the Department of State Service, the
National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, National Agency for the Prohibition of
Traffic in Person, as well as the Nigerian Police Force.
Announcing the establishment of the new
investigative unit in Abuja yesterday, the AGF said: “Consequent upon want of
expertise in the conduct and process of investigations by various security
agencies in Nigeria and the need to address such anomalies leading to
consistent rejection of vital/relevant evidence in the course of prosecution
and or the writing down of the probative value of such evidence owing to
inappropriate investigation, my office as a result, and in line with the
constitutional powers conferred on me as the chief law officer of the
federation and by virtue of section 105 (1) and (3) of the Administration of
Criminal Justice Act, hereby deem it fit to establish an Investigation Unit
within the ministry.
“This unit shall coordinate and form part of every
investigation in Nigeria for robust investigation and successful prosecution of
such cases.”
He said the core function/mandate of the unit would
equally involve giving advice, beforehand, to every security agency carrying
out investigation on the best lawful and admissible means of such investigation
for effective prosecution thereafter.
The AGF said his ministry successfully concluded a
total of 296 terrorism cases within the period of 2015 and 2016, while a total
of 6646 criminal cases ranging from oil theft, culpable homicide, rape armed
robbery, unlawful possession of arms, murder among others were equally
concluded.
More so, Malami, SAN, the government had commenced
the profiling of over 1,000 suspected Boko Haram members, including those that
are either in custody and those whose case-files were left unprosecuted.
He maintained that despite numerous challenges
facing the ministry, such as prolonged and inconclusive investigation by law
enforcement agencies, lack of funds to sponsor witness to court, delay in
mobilsing prosecutors, delay in the production of case files to his office by
law enforcement agencies, officers in the Department of Public Prosecution
(DPP) were able to secure commendable convictions.
Malami said the Justice Ministry was working on
securing approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the installation
and implementation of a state of the art modern Virtual Automated Case
Management System (V-ACMS) so as to incorporate an online up-to-date integrated
biometrics prisoners’ information technology that would strengthen the
operations of the federal justice sector institutions and eliminate bottlenecks
in the administration of criminal justice system in the country.
He decried the high number of awaiting trial
inmates in Nigeria, saying it was the major reason why the prisons are constantly
overcrowded.
He said the government was working on modalities to
reduce the population of awaiting trial inmates in the country, adding that the
committee on prerogative of mercy will consider and recommend inmates that are
qualified to be granted state pardon.
Besides, the AGF revealed that the judgment debt
profile of the ministry stood at N113 billion as at last year, a situation he
said necessitated the re-establishment of the Judgment Debt Verification
Committee to assist in reducing the quantum of the debt against the Federal
Government, by reaching a compromise with judgment-creditors on modalities and
payment of such debt.
Meanwhile, the AGF said the government was
determined to recover about $15million that was seized by the South African
government under the former President Goodluck Jonathan led administration.
He blamed delay in the recovery of the money on
cumbersome legal process between Nigeria and South Africa.
News
Source: - Vanguard | August 29, 2017.
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