The Attorney-general of the
federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami,
has vented his displeasure over
allegations that his office leaked to
the public the list of those being
allegedly probed by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC).
Apparently peeved by the allegation,
Malami warned EFCC against ridiculing
his office, saying he would not allow his
office to be “dragged into petty
squabbles” in equally saying the CJN
Onnoghen is under any probe.
It was rumoured that the Chief justice of
Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen; former
governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill
Akpabio; minister of mines and steel,
Kayode Fayemi and the former minister
of finance under Goodluck Jonathan,
Ngozi Okonjo-Iwala were among those on
the proposed probe list by EFCC.
After the list was leaked, the EFCC said
investigation had been damaged.
However, in a statement issued by Salihu
Othman Isah, media aide to the minister,
Malami said he knew nothing about how
the information was made public.
“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,” the statement read.
“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 Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC).
“The pertinent question to ask is
since the EFCC has publicly
denied that the honourable chief
justice of Nigeria is not 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.”
“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
galvanise 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.”
