๐ฝ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ง. ๐๐ข๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ช ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐๐ช
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami San remains the cynosure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
Malamiโs conspicuous postures, legal acumen and administrative dexterity in the discharge of his statutory responsibilities depict him as a workaholic and an achiever Minister who works relentless in ensuring the attainment of the cardinal objectives of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the year 2021, as always, Malami was preoccupied with public-interest national assignments and international engagements geared toward enhancing the fortunes of Nigeria.
Enumerated below are points of what could be considered as marvelous milestones recorded by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in the 2021.
๐. ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ
As a demonstration of commitment to end banditry and other forms of associated insecurity in the country, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice filed an application for the proscription of bandits as Terrorists.
The proscription shows the determination of the Federal Government to deal ruthlessly with the bandits and to do things in accordance with the rule of law.
๐. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐ญ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐
In a bid to address the challenges of money laundering and terrorism financing, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN facilitated the move by Federal Government of Nigeria has indicated willingness to join membership of the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
The FATF monitors 39 member countries to ensure fully and effective implementation of FATF Standards thereby holding nations that do not comply accountable.
๐. ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ข
Following the signing of Memorandum of Understanding for the repatriation of the Ibori loot on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria by Malami and the British High Commissioner, Catriona Laing, the sum of 4.3million Pound connected to the family of James Ibori were returned to the Federal Government on 10th May, 2021.
The development, according to Malami, was a demonstration of the recognition of reputation Nigeria earns through records of management of recovered stolen Nigerian stolen in the execution of public oriented projects.
๐. ๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ค๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐ฌ
In addition to the fight against corruption, crushing banditry and combating terrorism, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration is also determined and committed to arraign and prosecute anyone found wanting or connected to the sponsorship of Boko Haram Terrorists.
On this note, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN worked assiduously and carried out a thorough and comprehensive investigation to prosecute all the financiers of Boko Haram.
โAs per as terrorism funding and financing is concerned, we have succeeded in identifying those that are allegedly responsible for funding same and we are blocking the leakages associated with funding while embarking on aggressive investigation that is indeed impacting positively in terms of the fight against terrorismโ Malami informed journalist during the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in September, 2021.
๐. ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ง๐ฎโ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐l
Through combined efforts of stakeholders the leader of the proscribed terrorists Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, was re-arrested and brought back to Nigeria in June 2021.
Kanu was brought back to face his trial. Mr Kanu and his co-defendant were facing treasonable felony charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja when fled the country in September 2017.
The resumption of the trail has been applauded as another remarkable milestone recorded in the year 2021. The Minister was also informed Nigerians of the atrocities committed by the IPOB when they unleashed mayhem in the country.
๐. ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
At a Press Conference in October, 2021, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami,SAN revealed that an investigation has discovered a Federal lawmaker and other major sponsor of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho.
Malami said the investigation unravelled how Igboho got monies from 43 bank accounts, across nine banks. The report shows the link between the separatistsโ agitators and terrorism across the country.
๐. ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
In the effort to bring lasting peace an at the Lake Chad Region, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, said Federal Government of Nigeria has vowed to partner in the collaborative efforts to see to an end the multidimensional crises facing the Lake Chad Basin States.
The Minister has been engaging in international cooperation assignments connected to the United Kingdom, United States, Egypt, Cameroon, China, Gambia among others.
๐. ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข-๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐๐
Speaking at the annual public lecture in New York organized by the Centre for Media and Peace Initiative, New York, United States of America, Malai explained that โvarious steps have been taken (by the Buhari-led Federal Government) in terms of legislatives frameworks, establishment of institutions and policy measures targeted at combatting corruption, regional corporation and ensuring good governance for the benefit of citizensโ.
According to him, the outstanding successes recorded in the fight against corruption, especially in the international asset recovery could be a template for other African countries in the fight against corruption.
๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐, ๐๐ ๐
In an effort to ensure a better Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN pledged enormous support in providing the legal backing for the immediate implementation of reforms strategy for national security architecture.
Malami made this known as he received members of the Presidential Implementation Advisory Committee for the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Reform Committee on Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of Nigeria, adding that the review of the defense and security architecture is crucial and a necessity considering the heightened level of insurgency and other internal and external threats.
๐๐. ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has reassures the Federal Governmentโs unending support, dedication and commitment to end impunity for crimes against Journalists.
Malami gave the assurance in his keynote address at โPolicy Dialogue on Protection of Journalists in commemoration of the 2021 International Day to end impunity for crimes against Journalists in Nigeriaโ, organized by Federal Ministry of Justice with the support from the Managing Conflict in Nigeria (MCN) program of the British Council Tuesday 2nd November, 2021 held in Abuja.
๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐
Malami pointed out that the Federal Government had identified at least many stolen funds which the government was determined and committed to recover from different countries of the world.
โWe are looking to recover further about USD2 billion among others, but then, that does not mean to say that no other associated assets are being pursued in other countries of the world, including Ireland and other countries,โ he said.
(to be continued).
