From: Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The feud between the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN), and the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu may not be over.
It clearly manifested yesterday in the response by the AGF to media report that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, and other prominent public office holders were under investigation by the EFCC.
The report also listed other high-profile Nigerians, who, it claimed, are purportedly being probed for corruption. These include former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala; former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and a sitting judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdu Kafarati.
Malami said his ministry did not at any time leak such information to the media as wrongly alluded by the EFCC.
A statement by his Media Adviser, Salihu Isah said the AGF, “strongly frowns at any unsavoury attempt or conspiracy to drag his office and that of the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria into petty squabbles amid burning national issues.
The statement reads in part: “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 wishes 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 EFCC. The pertinent question to ask is since the EFCC has publicly denied that the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria is 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…
“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.