The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has justified his directive to the Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr, Ibrahim Magu and heads of other security agencies on why they must submit case files of high profile cases to his office to check abuses and proliferation. Malami stated this during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
He added that one of the major reasons for the directive is the need for synergy among the agencies.
He said, “ The submission of all cases under investigation or prosecution “has become eminently necessary consequent upon lack of effective cooperation and coordination among the criminal justice and security agencies in Nigeria.”
According to him, the directive is not only meant to checkmate abuses and proliferation of criminal cases, but facilitate centralization and easy access to information for a robust and effective criminal justice system.
He said the development was sequel to the directive on the creation of a Co-ordinating Centre for all Federal Government Criminal Justice Agencies to fast track case management and effective prosecution just like the system being operated in Lagos State. Explaining that the Federal Ministry of Justice is being repositioned, Malami said that the coordination Centre will enable the office of the AGF have a firsthand information of the status of all criminal investigation/trial in the country.
“It would also eliminate the lack of coordination and collaboration among the criminal justice and security agencies in the country, as well as present at a glace information on the status of all Criminal investigation/trial in the country,” he added.
Malami, who evaded question whether the bickering between his office and Magu over Nigeria’s suspension from Egmont was not affecting the antigraft war, said that the ministry has also established investigation unit to offer legal expertise in the conduct and process of investigation.
He said the Unit will address anomalies that have led to consistent rejection of vital/ relevant evidence in the cause of prosecution or the wilting down of the probative value of such evidence owing to inappropriate investigation, adding that he, as the AGF, had established the unit by virtue of the powers conferred on him by section 105(1)and (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
On the cases handled by the ministry, the AGF said that a total of 296 terrorism cases were handled by the Federal Ministry of Justice between 2015 and 2016, while the ministry is still contending with a total of 6,646 cases filed against the state. The Department of Public Prosecution also handled a total of 4,709 petitions, 1,353 Conspiracy/ Armed Robbery cases and 761 Criminal conspiracy cases between 2015 and 2016.
He said the Department also received a total of 2,000 criminal cases files from the Nigeria police owing to the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. He said that civil litigation and public law department within the period under review handled 1330 civil cases and 257 appellate matters, out of which 251 cases were resolved, while 74 cases have so far been resolved this year.
According to the AGF, a total sum of N119.22billion was saved to the Federal Government being claims of litigants who initiated suits against the federal government.
Malami said that prisons overcrowding is of great concern to the administration. He said that meetings are to be held with relevant agencies and stakeholders on possible lawful means of reducing prisoners’ population.
The AGF also decried the prolong non-payment of judgment -debt totaling about N133bn owed by the Federal Government. He said that a committee has also been reconstituted to reduce the debt.
