- Lateef Fagbemi, Nigeria’s Attorney General, has called on anti-graft agencies to conduct thorough investigations before making arrests, warning against hasty and superficial actions
- Fagbemi called for evidence-based legal evaluations and warned against justifying corruption
- He highlighted the importance of collaboration among Attorneys General in combating corruption, proposed excluding those convicted of corruption from state pardons
Lateef Fagbemi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has issued a warning to anti-graft agencies to avoid making arrests before completing thorough investigations.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission(ICPC) for state attorneys general in Abuja on Monday, September 9, Fagbemi said:
“Let us be thorough and take our time before inviting someone for questioning. Don’t do a shoddy job and be quick to say we have caught a big fish…You will catch a big fish. If it is two or three big fish you are able to get in a year, and you are thorough, it is alright.”
AGF warns against filing false charges to provoke public outrage
The AGF emphasised the necessity of having strong evidence before summoning suspects for questioning.
The AGF also advised against bringing false charges against defendants merely to stir public outrage.
“Nobody wants a 50-count charge…make it five or six and be sure. Make sure you get him (suspect) in,” he added.
Fagbemi highlights collaborative efforts in combating corruption
According to the AGF, the key to fighting corruption lies in the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, notably the Attorneys General.
Fagbemi called on the Attorneys General to resist nepotism, political persecution, rivalry, and bias in their fight against corruption, even if it means facing displeasure from their governors.
He emphasised that corruption and criminal activities cannot be justified under any circumstances.
AGF calls for evidence-based legal evaluations
He further said, “I will suggest in our next constitution review exercise that we expunge those found guilty of corruption from benefiting from powers of ‘Prerogative of Mercy’ to serve as a deterrent to others.”
According to Fagbemi, Nigerians convicted of corruption should not be eligible for a state pardon.
He stressed that their legal evaluations of cases should be based on factual evidence, as is standard in more developed countries.
“We must resist succumbing to public opinion. In Nigeria, we are divided along political lines,” Fagbemi stated.
“We can’t be intimidated,” Ajaero asserts after meeting with the police
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, said that the union would remain steadfast despite external pressures after he visited the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) headquarters in Abuja.
Ajaero emphasised that the NLC would not be intimidated but continue its fight for workers' rights.