AGF moves to stop state pardon for indicted politicians

FG’s bid to arraign arms importers, suspected terrorists scuttled in Abuja

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has said those found guilty of corruption should not enjoy state pardon.

The media aide to the minister, Kamarudeen Ogundele, made this known in a statement yesterday.

Also, attempts by the Federal Government to arraign 10 alleged importers of firearms and ammunition and suspected terrorists scuttled at the Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, by two of the accused persons.

The AGF also counselled law enforcement agencies against shoddy investigations, urging them to have their facts before summoning anyone for questioning.

Fagbemi reportedly spoke at a roundtable organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for state attorneys-general in Abuja.

He said: “I will suggest in our next constitution review exercise that we expunge those found guilty of corruption from benefiting from powers of ‘Prerogative of Mercy’ to serve as a deterrent to others.”

The minister said the cooperation of all stakeholders, especially the AGs, was crucial in the fight against corruption.

Fagbemi advised the AGs to eschew nepotism, political witch-hunting, rivalry and bigotry in the fight against corruption just to please their governors.

While arguing that there should be no basis for rationalising corruption or crimes, the justice minister said legal opinions on cases must be based on the facts as practised in advanced countries, adding, “We should not give in to public sentiments. In Nigeria, we are polarised along political lines.”

The AGF advised participants and anti-graft agencies to conduct thorough investigations of cases before arresting suspects to avoid media trials.

“Let us be thorough and take our time before inviting someone for questioning. Don’t do a shoddy job and be quick to say ‘we have caught a big fish.’ If it is two or three big fish you can get in a year and you are thorough, it is alright,” he added.

The AGF also counselled against filing bogus charges against defendants just to generate frenzy in the public against the suspect.

THE arraignment billed before Justice Emeka Nwite was scuttled due to the unavailability of legal practitioners for two of the accused and their rejection of free legal services offered by two lawyers in court.

They were accused of importing, into Nigeria, 844 prohibited firearms and cartridges of 112,500 rounds concealed in plumbing materials in a container with number MAEU-9165396 on June 20, 2024, at Onne in Port Harcourt, contrary to section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004.

They also allegedly altered a bill of lading of the consignment from Ola Gold Maratine Services to Dan Autos Limited and diverted the movement of the container from West African Container Terminal to WAX Logistics Limited to cover up the importation of prohibited arms and ammunition contrary to Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

However, while reading the charges to the 10 defendants, the court discovered that the 6th and 7th defendants, Augustine John Elechi and Osumini Kennedy respectively, had no legal representation as required by law.

In the drama that ensued, two legal practitioners, Deji Adeyanju and George Ogara, volunteered free legal services to the two accused persons but they rejected the offers.

In compliance with the law, Justice Nwite said that it would be improper to take the defendants’ plea in the absence of their counsel.

The Judge subsequently fixed September 12 to enable the two accused persons to get lawyers of their choice for their arraignment.

Nwite also ordered that the 10 defendants be taken to Intelligence Response Team (IRT) custody of the Nigeria Police for keep till September 12.

At the proceedings, Deputy Director, National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Chioma Onuegbu, stood for the Federal Government.