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Tag: Abubakar Malami

  • How Buhari Rescued Nigeria From Collapse – Malami

    How Buhari Rescued Nigeria From Collapse – Malami

    The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, has said President Muhammadu Buhari rescued Nigeria from collapse within the first year of his administration.

    Malami said Buhari came at a time when the economy was about to collapse, which would have led to total collapse of the nation, but he rescued the situation within a short period of time.

    The Minister, who stated this in a radio programme in Kano, said all sectors of economy suffered serious setback before coming of the president, and that state governments were also rescued through various disbursement of bailouts.

    “President did this in less than one year; he rescued our economy from collapse. This is very rare as not all leaders can do this. Even the developed countries suffered much before they rescued situations like this.”

    He said the president did not stop there but also introduced programmes such as N-power and COVID-19 interventions that provided employments opportunities to many Nigerians.

    On insecurity, Malami said Buhari intervened in the North East and prevented Boko Haram terrorists from launching large-scale attacks, which were incessant during the past administration.

    “Before Buhari came, there were so many challenges in the security sector, but now, we have succeeded in preventing the attacks. It’s been long that I heard about attack in markets, worship places and so on,” Malami said.

    He added that the committed effort put together by the security operatives forced the bandits in the North West initiate reconciliatory move with the Federal Government.

  • How virtual court proceedings will boost Nigeria’s economy – Malami

    How virtual court proceedings will boost Nigeria’s economy – Malami

    The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has said that virtual court proceedings will boost Nigeria’s economy.

    He stated this on Monday at the inauguration of the virtual court sitting facilities deployed at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.

    “This initiative will in no small measure help boost the economy by ensuring that funds meant for the movement of the inmates would be channelled to other essential areas of needs in the Correctional Centres, and assist the country to meet up with global best practice in terms of the Administration of the Criminal Justice,” he said.

    According to the AGF, the virtual court would end disruptions by making it possible for evidence of suspects in custody to be taken without their physical presence in court, adding that it would equally guarantee the safety of suspects and prison officials.

    Malami said, “This system would equally ensure speedy dispensation of trials in line with section 36(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which provides that every person shall be entitled to fair hearing within a reasonable time. It would also eliminate the issue of difficulties in conveying the inmates to court and would further ensure the safety and security of the inmates and law enforcement officers.

    “We are no longer constrained by mobility, space and time in the justice delivery on account of accommodation of the virtual court sitting facilities and deployment of incidental technology.

    “I assure you that the Virtual Court Proceedings are in compliance with the provisions of section 36(3) of the Constitution, which provides for public court sitting or hearing. This virtual court proceedings meet up with the expectation of the Constitution and are not private hearings but open to the respective counsel involved, the litigants (inmates) and the general public at large.

    “In addition, it is important to note that this virtual court hearing will not in any way contravene the provision of section 36(6) of the 1999 Constitution which provides for the arraignment, taking of evidence, tendering of documents, cross-examination and general conduct of criminal proceedings. In as much as these are done in accordance with the said provision, the virtual hearing would be valid.”

    The AGF added that the project was birthed by the Ministry of Justice in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and Japan Government towards deploying Virtual Court Proceedings in Correctional Centres nationwide with the Kuje prison as a pilot project.

  • AGF, Malami To Launch Virtual Court Sitting Facilities

    AGF, Malami To Launch Virtual Court Sitting Facilities

    Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN is to launch nationwide deployment and use of Virtual Court Proceedings in Nigeria’s Correctional Centres.
    This was announced on Friday in a statement signed by Umar Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
    According to the statement, Malami is to launch the pilot project for the deployment and use Virtual Court Sitting facilities at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja on Monday.
    “Expected at the occasion are the Honourable Minister of Interior; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Controller – General of the Nigerian Correctional Service; Halilu Nababa as well as members of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reforms and Decongestion.
    “The Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reforms and Decongestion, Leticia Ayoola-Daniels working with the representative of the supporting organization; Mrs. Oyinye Ndubuisi of the UNDP are working assiduously to ensure the achievement of the laudable project,” the statement read in part.
    Gwandu added that the initiative is one of the strategic interventions by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and indeed the Federal Government towards engendering lasting reforms in the Criminal Justice Sector in Nigeria.
    According to the statement, the development is part of the process to implement the Post-Covid-19 Justice Sector Plan marshaled out by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in April 2020.

  • Anambra Polls: FG Threatens To Impose State Of Emergency To Tighten Security

    Anambra Polls: FG Threatens To Impose State Of Emergency To Tighten Security

    The Federal Government has said it will impose a state of emergency in Anambra State to tighten security ahead of the November 6 governorship elections.

    Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced this on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Malami said the government will do everything possible to ensure protection of lives and property adding that where there is evidence of failure of the state government to ensure democratic order and security of lives, the Federal Government will prevail and will not rule out the possibility of imposing a state of emergency.

    More to follow…

  • FG will allow Ohanaeze monitor Nnamdi Kanu’s trial – Malami

    FG will allow Ohanaeze monitor Nnamdi Kanu’s trial – Malami

    The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has said that the federal government will allow the pan Igbo social-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo to fully witness and monitor the trial of self-acclaimed Biafran leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in the terrorism charges against him.

    Malami disclosed that the federal government has nothing to hide in the trial and as such will allow the law to take its course in the trial that will soon commence.

    The AGF made the position of the federal government public in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Assistant on media and public relations, Dr Jibrin Umar Gwandu.

    The statement read in part, “The Attorney General of the Federation welcomed the formation of Legal team by Ohanaeze Ndigbo to monitor the proceedings at the trial of the self-acclaimed IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu which is in line with the doctrine of the right of fair hearing rooted in Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

    “Inherent in the position of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the matter was the demonstration of their recognition of belonging to Nigeria and succumbing to the rule of law while maintaining their stance that they were not averse to the trial of Nnamdi Kanu.

    “In a similar vein, the group showed a mature departure from the mindset of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra when Ohanaeze said they “do not support the use of any form of violence” while channeling concerns and presenting demands.

    “By urging the youths to be law-abiding and sheath their sword as well as asking them to try to obtain voter’s card to enable them contribute to national development, the position of Ohanaeze becomes glaringly constitutional and commendable.

    “Let it be made abundantly clear that President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government respects the rule of law and does not advocate for the breach of law.

    “Hence, with or without the so-called monitoring group, justice will be adequately served to Nnamdi Kanu in compliance with the enshrined provisions of the law.

    “It is hoped that the unnecessary legal monitoring group will come with open-mind and be guided by nothing but the rule of law in the process so as to convey the judgment of the Court as may eventually be delivered to their people in various languages and dialects of the members of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo communities and the entire Nigerians,” the statement said.

  • Malami To Southern Govs: Grazing Ban Is Like Prohibiting Spare Parts Trade In The North

    Malami To Southern Govs: Grazing Ban Is Like Prohibiting Spare Parts Trade In The North

    The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has likened the ban on open-grazing by southern governors with the prohibition of spare parts in the north.

    Southerners are the ones dominating spare parts trade in the northern part of the country.

    Responding to a question when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, Malami described the action of the southerner governors as illegal.

    Daybreak reported that at a meeting in Asaba, Delta State Capital, last week, southern governors announced a ban on open grazing in the region.

    The governors cited the rising cases of kidnapping and killings as the reason for their action.

    But Malami said no Nigerian has the right to deny his fellow citizens of their rights of freedom of movement.

    He said, “It is a very dangerous position for any governor in Nigeria to think that he can bring about any compromise on the freedom and livery of individuals to move around.

    “Within the context of the freedoms enshrined in our constitution, can you deny a right of a Nigerian? It is as good as saying may be the Northern governors coming together to say that they prohibit spare parts trading in the North. Does it hold water? Does it hold water for a Northern governor to come and state expressly that he now prohibits spare parts trading in the North?”

    “If you are talking of a constitutionally guaranteed right, the better approach to it is perhaps to go back and ensure that the constitution is amended. The freedom and liberty of movement, amongst others is established by the constitution.

    “If by an inch, you want to have any compromise, the better approach is to go back to the National Assembly for open grazing to be prohibited and see whether you can have the desired support for the constitutional amendment in that respect but it is a very dangerous position for any governor in Nigeria to think that he can bring about any compromise on the freedom and liberty of individuals to move around.”

  • Comparing spare part business with open grazing wicked, arrogant – Akeredolu Slams Malami

    Comparing spare part business with open grazing wicked, arrogant – Akeredolu Slams Malami

    Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has lashed out at the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami for kicking against the resolve by the southern governors to ban open grazing within the region.

    According to Akeredolu, it is worrisome for Malami who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to compare a well-structured business such as the spare part business with the archaic method of cattle grazing.

    Akeredolu maintained that the ban on open grazing in the southern region has come to stay and will be enforced with utmost vigour.

    The Attorney General was said to have frowned at the meeting of the Southern Governors’ Forum held in Asaba, Delta State capital where the governors ordered the immediate ban of open grazing across the zone.

    Akeredolu who coordinated the Asaba meeting in a statement he personally signed, urged Malami to approach the court if he has anything against the move by the governors.

    While emphasizing that the decision to ban open grazing was taken in the interest of the people, Akeredolu in the statement said, “It is most unfortunate that the AGF is unable to distil issues as expected of a Senior Advocate. Nothing can be more disconcerting.

    “This outburst should, ordinarily, not elicit response from reasonable people who know the distinction between a legitimate business that is not in any way injurious and a certain predilection for anarchy.

    “Clinging to an anachronistic model of animal husbandry, which is evidently injurious to harmonious relationship between the herders and the farmers as well as the local populace, is wicked and arrogant.

    “Comparing this anachronism, which has led to loss of lives, farmlands and property, and engendered untold hardship on the host communities, with buying and selling of auto parts is not only strange. It, annoyingly, betrays a terrible mindset.”

  • FG Begins Profiling Of Nigerians Linked To Terrorism Financing

    FG Begins Profiling Of Nigerians Linked To Terrorism Financing

    The Federal Government has begun profiling towards prosecution, well-placed Nigerians suspected of being financiers of terrorism in the country.

    Briefing journalists on Friday in Abuja, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami said the arrest of the suspects followed the recent convictions of some Nigerians on terrorism financing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    He said that investigations conducted have established reasonable evidence of the involvement of the highly placed individuals, businessmen and institutions across the country in financing the Boko Haram terrorists.

    “As you will actually know, sometimes back there were certain convictions of Nigerians allegedly involved in terrorism financing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” he said in reaction to the extent of prosecution.

    “That gave rise to wider and far-reaching investigations in Nigeria and I’m happy to report that arising from the wider coverage investigation that has been conducted in Nigeria, a number of people, both institutional and otherwise, were found to be culpable.

    “I mean a reasonable ground for suspicion of terrorism financing has been established or perhaps has been proven to be in existence in respect of the transactions of certain higher-profile individuals and businessmen across the country.”

    Although Malami declined to disclose names of the terrorist financiers nor the number of those found culpable, he simply stated that a large number of persons were involved, adding that he is not at liberty to disclose further, as investigations (which have reached an advanced stage) and profiling continue.

    He added, “I’m happy to report that investigation has been ongoing for a long and it has reached an advanced stage.

    “Arising from the investigation, there exists, certainly, reasonable grounds for suspicion that a lot of Nigerians, high-profile, institutional and otherwise, are involved in terrorism financing and they are being profiled for prosecution.

    “In essence, it is indeed true that the government is prosecuting and it’s indeed initiating processes of prosecuting those high-profile individuals that are found to be financing terrorism. It is indeed true.”

    “The message is clear: nobody is going to be spared, no stone will be left unturned. We shall certainly and aggressively pursue those people that are involved in terrorist financing as far as the Nigerian state is concerned,” he declared.

    Nigeria has been grappling with series of security challenges ranging from Boko Haram terrorism in the northeast to banditry in the northwest, kidnapping for ransom in several parts of the country, ritual, agitations for secession among several others.

    The country has been battling insurgency for over a decade with over 36,000 people killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in the northeast.

    As part of measures to rejig the entire security architecture, President Muhammadu Buhari earlier this year replaced his four top military commanders in a bid to better combat the insurgency that has also displaced more than two million people from their homes since 2009.

    ISWAP split from mainstream Boko Haram in 2016 and became a dominant group, launching attacks on military bases and ambushing troops while abducting travellers at fake checkpoints.

    Since 2019, the army has mostly withdrawn from villages and smaller bases into so-called “super camps”, fortified garrisons meant to give better protection against attacks.

    But critics say the strategy has left jihadists with more freedom to roam untouched in rural areas and made highways vulnerable to kidnappings and assaults.

  • FG inaugurates committee to sell off recovered looted assets

    FG inaugurates committee to sell off recovered looted assets

    The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee to sell off both movable and immovable looted assets recovered so far through the anti-corruption efforts of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, while inaugurating the 22-member committee in Abuja on Monday, urged its members not to betray the trust placed on them by the government.

    Malami said members of the committee, tagged: “The inter-ministerial committee on the disposal of Federal Government of Nigeria’s forfeited assets,” are drawn from relevant agencies that deal with the recovery and disposal of Federal Government of Nigeria’s assets.”

    The AGF urged the committee to deploy “the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019, the Standard Operating Procedures and Terms of Reference” as its working tools and guide on how best to actualise the quick disposal of the recovered assets in line with the directive of the President.

    READ ALSO: #EndSARS: The law will rule on looters of public, private properties — Presidency

    Malami added: “Your mandate is to ensure the expedient disposal of all FGN Forfeited Assets and generate revenue for the Federal Government of Nigeria.

     “I wish to implore the inter-ministerial committee to work as a formidable team with the relevant agencies in accordance with extant laws and regulations.

    “It is also my hope that the proceeds from this exercise will be a source of additional revenue for the country.

    “I must, however, warn that the task before the Inter-Ministerial Committee is an enormous one and must be conducted with utmost dignity having the interest of Nigeria at heart. Thus, much is expected from the committee.”

    The committee’s Chairman and Solicitor General of the Federation, Dayo Apata assured that the committee would execute its mandate with utmost commitment.

    “I assure you that our committee will be guided by the twin principles of transparency and accountability,” Apata said.

    He asked all assets recovery agencies of the Federal Government to urgently send records of recovered assets to the committee’s secretariat, which is the Assets Tracing Recovery and Management Unit in the office of the AGF.

    Members of the committee are drawn from office of the Chief of Staff to the President; Federal Ministry of Justice; Federal Ministry of Finance; Federal Ministry of Works and Housing; Auditor-General of the Federation; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices (and other related offences) Commission.

    Other are: the Nigerian Army; Nigerian Navy; Nigeria Police; Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency; Department of State Security; National Drug Law Enforcement Agency; Department of Petroleum Resources; National Oil Spillage, Detection and Response Agency; and the Bureau of Public Procurement

  • Lawyers sign petition to strip AGF Abubakar Malami of SAN rank over ‘controversial amendment’

    Lawyers sign petition to strip AGF Abubakar Malami of SAN rank over ?controversial amendment?

    Minister for Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami has ignited the wrath of Nigerian lawyers following his amendment to the rules of professional conduct for legal practitioners (RPC), 2007.

    Malami reportedly removed the requirement for the NBA stamp and seal on court processes. He was accused of taking the decision alone and creating room for non-lawyers to submit court processes.

    The amendment occurred less than a week after a splinter group known as the New NBA wrote a petition to Malami, asking to be recognised by the Federal Government. The splinter group of mostly northern lawyers had emerged after Governor El-Rufai was removed from the list of speakers in the last NBA conference. 

    In the petition started on Change.org by Izu Aniagu and titled “Sign to strip Nigeria’s AGF, Abubakar Malami the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria”, Malami’s alleged wrongdoings which led to the move to strip him of his SAN title (highest rank for lawyers in Nigeria) were also listed. 

    It read; 

    “Since assumption of office, the Attorney General of the Federation has continued to go rogue, from his disobedience to court order, to his lackluster prosecution, to his outright failure to prosecute, to allegations of corruption and bias against his person, to usurpation of office, to shielding of suspects, to his general dereliction of duty,” the petition read.

    “This time, the AGF has decided to take his imprudence to top notch by unilaterally deleting the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct which provide for stamp and seal as well as bar practicing fee for government lawyers. The AGF does not have such power. Section 12 (4) of the LPA gives the General Council of the Bar power to make any such amendment and make other decisions concerning the NBA.

    “There is no record of any meeting convened by the The Attorney General of the Federation who is the president of The Bar Council. The AGF took the decision alone and his actions constitute a threat to the rule of law. His action is totally shameful and is underserving of a lawyer in the rank of a Senio Advocate, let alone a Chief Law Officer of the federation.”

    As at the time of filing this report, 973 lawyers have signed the petition.