The Presidency says the constitution grants the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), the power to stop any corruption case.
The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Anti-Corruption, Abiodun Aikomo, disclosed this on Sunday during a programme on Channels Television.
Aikomo noted that the minister does not need to take permission from the President before stopping any corruption case. He added that there were many things that were usually considered before cases are allowed to proceed to trial.
He said: “There are so many things you are not privy to. There are so many considerations that you may never know and you will never know. Everything, the attorney-general knows. The attorney-general has an eagle view of issues in the prosecution arena. He coordinates all the activities of the prosecution in Nigeria.”
The Presidential aide also denied the allegations made by the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), that Malami had been frustrating the war against corruption.
Aikomo said, “With due respect to Prof. Sagay, the constitutional powers to enter nolle prosequi (stop prosecution) has been given to the attorney-general. The attorney-general does not owe anybody any explanation; not even the President. And the Supreme Court has ruled on this several times.
“So, these powers are not something somebody can second guess. That is what we are talking about. The attorney general’s power to enter nolle prosequi is borne out of so many things and it is not a power that is at large. The constitution has circumscribed how the power should be used and I can say confidently that is how the attorney-general has exercised this power.”
