AGF attacks EFCC over high profile cases list

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has condemned the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission for attributing the leakage of the
anti-corruption agency’s list of high profile cases to his
office.

The AGF, through a statement issued by his Special Adviser,
Media and Publicity, Mr. Salihu Isah, expressed what he termed his
“displeasure over the unfortunate and unbecoming innuendo” by EFCC
attributing the leakage to his office.

TheNigerialawyer had exclusively reported that the list
contained 106 high profile cases.

The newspaper published some of the prominent names on the list.
But the AGF on Friday that he was not aware of any probe of the
CJN.

He questioned the basis for the EFCC’s indirect attribution of
the leakage of the list to his office while denying that the CJN
was not being investigated by the anti-corruption agency.

He questioned how his office could have released a document
containing a non-existent fact.

The statement read in part, “The attention of the Honourable
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami, SAN has been drawn to a report in the media space
insinuating that the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon.
Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON and other former and
serving government and judicial officers are under investigation
for alleged corruption.

“The report also listed other high-profile Nigerians who it
claimed are purportedly under investigation for corruption to
include former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister
of Finance under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, present Minister of Solid Minerals Development and
former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, a sitting judge
of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice Abdu Kafarati, among
others.

“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister
of Justice wishes to express his displeasure over the unfortunate
and unbecoming innuendo by certain persons and agencies which
sought to accuse his office of leaking what was termed as
classified information to the public.

“This office, therefore, wish to state categorically, but with
absolute repudiation, that it did not at any time leak such
information to the media as wrongly alluded by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission.

“The pertinent question to ask is since the EFCC has publicly
denied that the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria is not under
probe or investigation; is it then possible for the same EFCC to
have forwarded any classified information on a non-existent probe
or investigation of the Honourable CJN to the Honourable Attorney
General of the Federation?

“It also goes to show that the Office of the Honourable Attorney
General of the Federation could not have leaked a non-existent
classified information on an equally non-existent probe or
investigation.”

The AGF noted that the EFCC’s attribution of the leakage to his
office was an “unsavoury attempt” to drag his office into a “petty
squabble” with the CJN, as he was not aware of any ongoing probe of
the nation’s topmost judicial officer.

The statement also read, “The Honourable Attorney General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice strongly frowns at any unsavoury
attempt or conspiracy to drag his office and that of the Honourable
Chief Justice of Nigeria into petty squabbles in the midst of
burning national issues.

“We, therefore, use this opportunity to reaffirm our deep
respect for the distinguished person and office of the Honourable
Chief Justice of Nigeria, and we will never be party to any
unpatriotic effort to denigrate his exalted office. We wish to
state unequivocally that the office of the Honourable Attorney
General of the Federation will continue to collaborate with His
Lordship in his efforts to reform the judiciary and galvanize the
anti-graft war. Indeed the present administration appreciates His
Lordship for his unwavering support for its anti-corruption
drive.

“We wish to state further that we are neither aware of nor privy
to any purported probe or ongoing investigation of the Honourable
Chief Justice of Nigeria by any security or anti-graft agency.

“The office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation
dissociates itself from the baseless allusion or suggestion
obviously made in bad faith to the effect that His Lordship is
under any form of probe or investigation whatsoever.

“In view of the above, the Honourable Attorney General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice wishes to emphatically reiterate
that he has profound confidence in the Chief Justice of Nigeria and
wishes His Lordship the very best in the discharge or performance
of his daunting duties to the nation at large.”

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has condemned the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission for attributing the leakage of the
anti-corruption agency’s list of high profile cases to his
office.

The AGF, through a statement issued by his Special Adviser,
Media and Publicity, Mr. Salihu Isah, expressed what he termed his
“displeasure over the unfortunate and unbecoming innuendo” by EFCC
attributing the leakage to his office.

TheNigerialawyer had exclusively reported that the list
contained 106 high profile cases.

The newspaper published some of the prominent names on the list.
But the AGF on Friday that he was not aware of any probe of the
CJN.

He questioned the basis for the EFCC’s indirect attribution of
the leakage of the list to his office while denying that the CJN
was not being investigated by the anti-corruption agency.

He questioned how his office could have released a document
containing a non-existent fact.

The statement read in part, “The attention of the Honourable
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami, SAN has been drawn to a report in the media space
insinuating that the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon.
Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON and other former and
serving government and judicial officers are under investigation
for alleged corruption.

“The report also listed other high-profile Nigerians who it
claimed are purportedly under investigation for corruption to
include former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister
of Finance under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, present Minister of Solid Minerals Development and
former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, a sitting judge
of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice Abdu Kafarati, among
others.

“The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister
of Justice wishes to express his displeasure over the unfortunate
and unbecoming innuendo by certain persons and agencies which
sought to accuse his office of leaking what was termed as
classified information to the public.

“This office, therefore, wish to state categorically, but with
absolute repudiation, that it did not at any time leak such
information to the media as wrongly alluded by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission.

“The pertinent question to ask is since the EFCC has publicly
denied that the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria is not under
probe or investigation; is it then possible for the same EFCC to
have forwarded any classified information on a non-existent probe
or investigation of the Honourable CJN to the Honourable Attorney
General of the Federation?

“It also goes to show that the Office of the Honourable Attorney
General of the Federation could not have leaked a non-existent
classified information on an equally non-existent probe or
investigation.”

The AGF noted that the EFCC’s attribution of the leakage to his
office was an “unsavoury attempt” to drag his office into a “petty
squabble” with the CJN, as he was not aware of any ongoing probe of
the nation’s topmost judicial officer.

The statement also read, “The Honourable Attorney General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice strongly frowns at any unsavoury
attempt or conspiracy to drag his office and that of the Honourable
Chief Justice of Nigeria into petty squabbles in the midst of
burning national issues.

“We, therefore, use this opportunity to reaffirm our deep
respect for the distinguished person and office of the Honourable
Chief Justice of Nigeria, and we will never be party to any
unpatriotic effort to denigrate his exalted office. We wish to
state unequivocally that the office of the Honourable Attorney
General of the Federation will continue to collaborate with His
Lordship in his efforts to reform the judiciary and galvanize the
anti-graft war. Indeed the present administration appreciates His
Lordship for his unwavering support for its anti-corruption
drive.

“We wish to state further that we are neither aware of nor privy
to any purported probe or ongoing investigation of the Honourable
Chief Justice of Nigeria by any security or anti-graft agency.

“The office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation
dissociates itself from the baseless allusion or suggestion
obviously made in bad faith to the effect that His Lordship is
under any form of probe or investigation whatsoever.

“In view of the above, the Honourable Attorney General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice wishes to emphatically reiterate
that he has profound confidence in the Chief Justice of Nigeria and
wishes His Lordship the very best in the discharge or performance
of his daunting duties to the nation at large.”