Lawyer tackles AGF over suit against Misau
An Abuja-based lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has challenged the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, over the suit instituted against the chairman of the Senate committee on Navy, Isah Hamma Misau.
Coming on the heels of the feud between the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Misau, the AGF last week dragged Misau to Court for allegedly committing offences punishable under Section 1(2)(C) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap 17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
Pelumi in a statement, said “the present action from the office of the AGF with respect to Senator Misau, who before now was responsible for bringing to the public domain cogent and mind-blowing allegations of corruption in the Police Force, the major campaign promise on which the present administration rode on into power leaves a lot to be desired and most importantly betrays the public sensibilities and confidence which the Nigerian citizenry had reposed in our government.
“One would want to ask, as every reasonable and objective citizen will: between the reputation of the Inspector-General of Police and the collective wealth of over 180 million Nigerians, which is of utmost importance to the State? The implication of this is that the charge is baseless and a compromise of the President Buhari’ s fight against corruption.
“Secondly, as a legal practitioner, I am not unaware of the fact that it is the discretion and obligation of the AGF to institute and in fact prosecute any person who he reasonably believes or suspects to have violated our penal laws, particularly with respect to Federal offences or those committed within the FCT, as stipulated by Section 174 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. However in the exercise of that power the AGF is obliged by the constitution to place and prioritize national interest above every other factor.
“The allegations raised against the person of IGP should have first been investigated by an independent body other than the Police which by virtue of it’s being headed by a man at the centre of the storm, is an interested party. In the alternative, the IG should be made to resign so as to give the other officers of the Police Force the leverage to conduct a proper and unbiased investigation.”