Immediate past attorney general of the Federation and minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will, on June 14, face the Disciplinary Panel of the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee; over a prejudicial statement made against detained former national security adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd).
The May 16 Hearing Notice, obtained by PRNigeria, which was signed by the Secretary Disciplinary Committee of the Legal Practitioners’ Privilege Committee, Patricia Orhomuru, has reference number PET/LPPC/23/2018.
The notice reads in part: “Take notice that the above matter is fixed for hearing by the Disciplinary Committee of the Legal Practitioner Privileged Committee of the Office of Registrar Supreme Court of Nigeria Abuja on June 14, 2019, at 11.00am in the forenoon.
Malami is expected to face the panel for investigation in a statement credited to him on the Voice of America (VOA) Hausa Service, on July 13, 2018, where in he said Dasuki would not be released; despite all subsisting court orders for his release on bail.
In the audio recording of the interview he granted VOA, Malami accused Mr Dasuki of being responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 Nigerians during Jonathan’s administration.
In the interview, Malami reportedly said; “Remember, we are talking about a person who was instrumental to the deaths of over 100,000 people. Are you saying that the rights of one person are more important than that of 100,000 who lost their lives?”
A Notice of hearing in the petition filed Dasuki’s family, againstMalami, indicated that the former AGF would be interrogated by the Committee of the Legal Practitioners, at the office of the Chief Registrar, Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja. The Dasuki family had petitioned the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), praying for an investigation and sanction of the minister; over his unprofessional conducts and utter disregard to the rule of law.
In the July 23, 2018 petition, received by the NBA the same day, the family wanted Malami to be investigated in the resolve of the federal government not to comply with any order of court admitting the former NSA to bail and has been unjustly detained for almost four years.
The petition, signed by his wife, Bintu Dasuki; his son, Abubakar and his nephew, Umar Dahiru, explained how Dasuki’s ordeal started when Buhari’s government came on board with the invasion of his houses in Abuja and Sokoto during which his vital properties, including vehicles, were carted away by the operatives of the Department of State Security Service.
The petition also chronicled how Dasuki was arraigned before four different high courts and was granted bail by all the judges.