Abubakar Malami, Attorney-general of the federation (AGF) who disclosed that the plan was approved during the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, added that it is meant to “consolidate and upscale” efforts of the government to ensure citizens’ rights are protected.

According to the AGF, the Buhari-led federal government prioritises human rights which is why it paid N135 million to victims of Apo Six.

Malami added;

“The essence of the presentation of the council memo today is to deliberate on the action plan, review it and seek approval for its conservation or presentation before the International Human Rights Committee.

“For the purpose of establishing that Nigeria is no longer operating at a local scale in terms of the observance and promotion of human rights, but indeed upscaling its international observance to international best practices as far as the human rights, promotion and protection of human rights is concerned.”

The fugue was given on Thursday by Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice while delivering a speech at the seventeenth meeting of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration Scorecard Series.

“3,000 terrorism cases have been profiled to date out of which over 1,500 cases were prosecuted, with 397 convictions realised”, he said.

According to Malami, there have been 7,000 cases of maritime attacks, armed robberies, pipeline and equipment vandalism, financial crimes, cybercrime, kidnapping, and anti-corruption prosecutions.

The ministry is coordinating the next phase of terrorism-related trials in collaboration with the Federal High Court, the Legal Aid Council, and the Defence Headquarters.

A framework for cooperative terrorism case investigations has also been devised by the AGF’s office in collaboration with pertinent security and law enforcement organizations.

Malami promised he would keep offering advice and directing the administration on prosecutorial and other legal issues.

Malami disclosed this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja while briefing the State House Correspondent after the week’s Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.

The Minister of Justice said the recovered assets had been deployed to various sectors of the economy including poverty alleviation

Between 2015 to 2022, our administration has recovered about $1 billion looted funds from different quarters.”

Malami also expressed the government’s concern over cases of budget padding, which he described as worrisome, noting that every necessary measure would be explored to address it.

The forum’s Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, stated this as part of a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. the AGF told journalists that state governors have no basis to refuse the over $418m deductions from the Paris Club refund paid to consultants they hired, arguing that the governors originally created the liability whose payment they have also indemnified.

The governors, however,  termed Malami’s claims as “fraudulent” vowing to drag the AGF to the “highest court in the land,” the Supreme Court.

Fayemi, who read the outcome of the meeting as contained in the communiqué, said, “Governors extensively reviewed the purported attempts by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance to circumvent the law and a recent judgment of the Supreme Court to secure the approval of the Federal Executive Council to effect illegal payment of a sum of $418m to contractors who allegedly executed consultancy in respect to the Paris Club refund, to state and local governments.

“The forum set up a committee comprising the chairman, Ekiti State Governor; the vice chairman, Ondo State Governor; Governors of Plateau State; Nasarawa State, and Ebonyi State to interface with the committee set up by Mr. President to review the matter.

The position of the Governors’ Forum is clear and unequivocal. Although this matter is subjudice and we are very reluctant to get in the way of a matter that is still being pursued in the court. We’re constrained by the manner in which the honourable attorney has been going around various media houses and purporting to create the impression that this is a liability to which governors had committed themselves to and agreed to, even though he is very much aware that that’s not the case.

We reject all of the claims that he has made on this issue, and we also insist that state will not give up on, insisting that these purported claims are fraudulent and will not stand as far as governors are concerned and we would take every constitutional and legal means to ensure that these purported consultancy are fully litigated upon by the highest court in the land.”

The NGF alleged that the Attorney-General is not acting in the public interest.

“As far as we’re concerned, this is a matter that governors feel very strongly about and we do not believe that the Attorney-General of the Federation is acting in the public interest, we believe he is acting in personal, selfish interest that will ultimately become clear when this matter is fully addressed, in the law court,” Fayemi noted.

The governor also appealed to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities to settle their differences and open up the schools.

Malami had on Thursday while briefing journalists said that “the Federal Government of Nigeria will not interfere with any local or international legal battle involving the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently facing trial for alleged organ harvest in the United Kingdom.”

The AGF further claimed that “it has never been the tradition of the Nigerian government to interfere in anything judicial, local or international.”

The organisation, in a statement titled, “Ekweremadu: Ohanaeze disagrees with Malami, calls for FG’s intervention,” issued on Sunday by its spokesman, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, faulted the AGF’s claim, reminding him how Nigeria in late 2018 and 2019, brought her full diplomatic weight to bear in securing the release of Zainab Kila, a Nigerian lady, after 124 days in Saudi Arabia prison over alleged drug trafficking.

It also cited cases involving UK nationals in foreign countries, noting that the British Government intervened in favour of an ex-British serviceman, Captain Simon Mann, and the son of the late Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Mark Thatcher, who both faced charges in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Equatorial Guinea over a planned 2004 coup in the Central African country.

The apex Igbo body noted that during Kila’s case, the then Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had stated that the President had directed the AGF and other key government agencies to intervene which eventually saw to her release.

While noting that there is nothing beyond diplomatic redemption once there is a political will, Ohanaeze said, “We believe that Ekweremadu’s case should not be different, especially when Nigeria enjoys longstanding cordial relations with the UK, and all the individuals involved in the UK case are Nigerian nationals.”

The Igbo apex body said it was curious that the AGF is making reference to Nigeria “Child Rights Act” more than a month after the UK Court ruled that the “donor” is not a child.

It added, “One would expect Nigeria to feel scandalised by the initial contempt by the British authorities in discountenancing an official document of Nigeria on the ‘donor’s’ age in the first place and feel disrespected by the continued refusal to grant Ekweremadu bail for a clearly bailable offence.

“We reckon that Nigeria could never give the same treatment to a British parliamentarian of Ekweremadu’s pedigree.

“Ohanaeze believes that Ike Ekweremadu has served Nigeria meritoriously in various capacities while in the Senate as the Deputy President of the Senate; and the Speaker of the Economic Community of West Africa States, among others, and was decorated with the service honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic.

“The Nigerian government and indeed all Nigerians should know that a measured indignity to Ike Ekweremadu, an illustrious Igbo and a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a sad denouement to Nigeria and indeed the entire Africa.

“We urge the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Nigeria High Commission in the UK, the Senate and House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to burnish their diplomatic channels in ensuring that Ekweremadu and his wife get the desired assistance by transferring the case to Nigeria.

Speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, Malami stressed that the state governors had no right to complain about the deduction which he said was meant for the consultants purportedly hired by the state governors and local governments.

But top official of the NGF, who spoke on condition of anonymity,  hit back, saying the AGF appeared to be working for the consultants instead of representing Nigerians in the matter.

The consultants had demanded the amount as payment for services rendered to the states and local government councils but the governors requested a forensic audit of their claims.

In March, the attorneys-general of the 36 states appealed a judgment that dismissed a suit seeking to restrain the Federal Government from effecting the planned deduction of $418 million from states’ funds.

In response to a November 11, 2021 letter from the minister of finance, budget, and national planning, the governors in a letter dated April 4, 2022 asked the FG to refrain from deducting from funds accruing to them and all local government councils as liquidation for the alleged Paris Club loan refund-related judgment debts.

But responding to questions from journalists at the 46th Session of the State House Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, the AGF declared that the governors created the liability whose payment they had also indemnified.

He noted that when the refund was paid to the states, a part-payment was also made to the consultants, but the governors eventually halted further payments and requested an out-of-court settlement instead.

According to Malami, the governors’ decision prompted a request to the President Buhari to disburse the payments.

The request, he explained, was forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General for its legal counsel.

After running the required checks, the AGF’s Office spotted no elements of fraud involved, Malami said.

Justifying his action, he stated, “On the issue of Paris Club, you mentioned that there exists a presidential directive that payments should not be made and then in breach of that directive, payments were made. You need to be informed as to the antecedents and how the liability arose.

“Now, the liability or judgment debts related to Paris Club was indeed a liability created by the Governors Forum in their own right. How do I mean? The Governors Forum comprising all the governors sat down, commonly agreed on the engagement of consultants to provide certain services for them relating to the recovery of the Paris Club. So, it was the Governors Forum, under the Federal Government in the first place that engaged the consultants.

“Two, when eventually successes were recorded associated with the refund, the governors collectively and individually presented a request to the federal government for the fund. And among the components of the claim presented for the consideration of the federal government was a component related to the payment of these consultants that are now constituting the subject of contention. ‘’So, the implication of that is that the governors in their own right recognized the consultants, recognized their claim and presented such a claim to the federal government.”

He explained that when the claims were eventually processed and paid to the NGF, the forum, without the FG’s intervention, made part-payments to the consultants, acknowledging their liability over the same.

The AGF noted that the governors later halted payment to the contractors, causing them to drag the forum to court.

“And what happened in court? They submitted to a consent judgment. They asked and urged the court to allow them settle out of court. They committed to terms of settlement in writing, they signed the terms of settlement, agreeing and conceding that such payments be made to the consultants.

“The FG under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was requested to comply with the judgment and effect payment. The President passed all the requests of the governors to the Office of the Attorney General for consideration.

“I suggested to the President on the face value of the judgment and the undertones associated with the consultancy services, it was my opinion, the same treatment we meted to P&ID, that ‘let us subject this claim, the consent judgment to investigation by the agencies of the government.’

“Mr President approved; I directed the EFCC and DSS to look into these claims and report back to the office of the Attorney-General. And these agencies reported and concluded that there is no problem undertone associated with it. The government may continue to sanction the payment dependent. Now, that was the background,’’ he clarified.

The Justice Minister said the FG took further steps to demand for indemnity from the governors.

That way, he said, it would be certain that the payments are made with the NGF’s consent in writing.

He added that the new leadership of the NGF instituted an action despite the FG acting on the Supreme Court’s judgment.

Malami added, “They now embarked on a fresh legal suit, challenging the payment, the previous agreement, the indemnity and the Federal High Court dismissed their case.’’

But a top NGF official said the governors would not respond to Malami officially because the case was in court and therefore, sub judice.

According to him, since the President had directed that the payment should be stopped until the case is decided by the court, the AGF should allow the court to decide the matter.

The source said, “I don’t know what he (Malami) wants to do. But Buhari has authorised that no payment should be made. So, can he now go and continue to effect payment? He has tried every means.

“He is trying to get this matter through another way. It did not go. The courts are still on it. There is an appeal. One of the consultants even went ahead and did his own case.”

The 35-member sub-committee, known as Technical Committee on Monitoring and Supervision, is headed by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma. Others on the committee include- Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State; the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who also represents Buhari’s home state of Katsina in the federal cabinet.

Others in the committee include Buhari’s trusted ally and Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiyya Farouq; and Buhari’s social media aide, Lauretta Onochie, who was nominated as a national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission sparked a nationwide outrage last year.

An impeccable source in the APC told The PUNCH that the members of the monitoring committee would be the “President’s eyes and ears at the national convention.”

“The duty of Malami and others will be to ensure that the President’s orders are obeyed strictly. It will be like a class captain compiling names of noisemakers. They will monitor those who defy the President’s orders and report accordingly.

“Some of the members of the committee are the President’s closest allies. They were the ones that travelled to London two weeks ago to save Buni’s job. They were with him long before he became President,” said an APC chieftain who wished to remain anonymous.

The President’s insistence on Nasarawa State Senator and former Governor, Abdullahi Adamu; had caused friction among some chieftains of the party including some chairmanship aspirants.

It was gathered that the NDLEA’s request, which was dispatched to the justice ministry penultimate week, had received the AGF’s nod.

With this development, the former Commander, Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team and his accomplices may lose their assets, cash and money in bank accounts; vehicles; real estate, notably hotels, residential and commercial buildings; personal effects such as wristwatches, jewellery and other valuable possessions.

last week that about N4.2bn was traced to Kyari and his co-accused, ACP Sunday Ubua’s bank accounts.

The NDLEA had on March 7 arraigned Kyari, Ubua and four members of the IRT, Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu, on eight counts of conspiracy, obstruction and dealing in cocaine, and other related offences before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Two other suspects arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, were also listed as defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022.

A senior justice ministry official said, “The AGF has endorsed the request by the NDLEA seeking approval for the confiscation of the assets of Abba Kyari, Ubua and the other police officers involved in drug dealing. With the approval, the drug agency can now go after their property such as real estate, bank accounts, cash, vehicles, stocks, bonds and anything of monetary value.”

The source further said the seizure of the embattled DCP and his co-accused assets was to ensure that they did not benefit from the proceeds of crime.

The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, had confirmed that the accused persons’ bank accounts would be frozen, noting that this was standard practice.

Kyari, who is wanted in the United States for alleged involvement in a $1.1m scam carried out by a notorious Internet scammer, Ramon Abass, aka Hushpuppi, was suspended by the police last July.

According to the minister, the bill, which the National Assembly transmitted to the Presidency the second time on Monday last week, just got to him on Monday for legal advice.

Malami made this known while appearing on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television which our correspondents monitored on Monday.

Buhari had withheld assent to the first version of the bill last year after consulting the Malami and the Independent National Electoral Commission, among others, on the bill.

When asked if he would advise the President to reject the amended bill if he was not satisfied with the new version, Malami said, “Certainly, if I am not satisfied and if I am of the opinion that it is against the public interest, the national interest; and then against the dictates of the democratic process, I would advise accordingly. But then, one thing I can tell you is that we are all interested in leaving behind a legacy of a lasting democracy; a democracy that indeed accommodates the collective interest of the Nigerian state, and eventually advances the national interest, national development and deepens the democratic process. So, with these considerations associated with deepening democracy; with the considerations associated with the national and public interest, we will certainly do whatever it takes to move democracy to the next level.”

Malami, who spoke during an interview with Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Monday, assured again that those found to have committed the crime would soon be charged.

He said “It has been a work in progress. Prima facie case seems to have been established, but proof of evidence has to be developed and eventually prosecution will take place,” Malami explained after several of such promises to arraign the suspects failed in the past. So, there is nothing that is hidden as far as prosecution is concerned; it is traditionally a public prosecution,” the AGF said against the backdrop of recent allegations of government compromise in bringing alleged sponsors of terrorism to justice. In a couple of weeks, these people will be charged and arraigned in court. In a number of weeks, you will have something tangible and cogent by way of prosecution,”