Skip to main content

Looters in trouble as AGF takes over high profile cases

Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

The Attorney -General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), has directed agencies with prosecutorial powers to compile pending cases they are currently handling in various courts.

This, he said, was with a view to determine which of them falls within the category of high profile cases to be taken over by the National Prosecution Coordination Committee (NPCC).

A statement issued by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Salisu Isah, said Malami gave the directive when he met with the various agencies in his office on Monday.

Malami, the Minister of Justice, briefed them on the exigency and existence of the committee, adding that the meeting was to fashion out a synergy between the committee and the agencies.

Isah who is the NPCC Head of Communication and Public Affairs, said

Malami’s message was read by Mr Sylvester Imhanobe, the Special Assistant to the President on Research and Special Project.

Imhanobe, who is also the Secretary of the committee used the occasion to inform the agencies of the objectives for setting up the prosecution committee.

The AGF explained that for a case to be tagged high profile, it must have overriding public interest elements, but that ultimately, he determined what case was tagged a high profile case.

He added that sometimes, the quantum of value of a case and its sensitivity also influenced whether a case was a high profile case or not.

According to him, members of the committee are mainly his aides as well as eight external members selected on the basis of experience and expertise.

He stressed that Heads of agencies were not part of the NPCC due to their busy schedules.

Malami also hinted that the intention was not to distract the heads of these agencies, but rather to engender smooth synergy between the committee and the agencies.

The Special Assistant to the President on Coordination and International Affairs under the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Pius Oteh, chaired the meeting.

Oteh emphasized that the AGF in his wisdom saw the need for coordination and cooperation between the NPCC and these agencies with prosecutorial and investigative powers.

He said that it was important for cooperation and synergy between the committee and the agencies to be consistent with the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari in the anti-graft war.

The agencies present at the meeting were Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Services, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices & other related offences Commission and the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more