Office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation (HAGF) and Minister of Justice, has debunked the insinuation that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubaksr Malamu (SAN), has stopped investigation into activities of the Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) as reported by an online media.
The minister described the report as “baseless falsehood mischievously spread in order to tarnish the image and hard-earned reputation, the Attorney-General has built over the years.”
In a statement late Saturday and signed by the spokesman to the minister, Umar Gwandu, Malami said the report was based on a letter in which he advised that the investigation should be streamlined, rather that five agencies investigating one organisation.
He said he only advised that one agency was enough to carry out the investigation to save cost and multiplicity of efforts.
He noted there was no where in the letter that he directed the stoppage of investigation of NIRSAL.
According to him, the letter dated 4th day of February, 2020, reads in part: “After a careful study of the petition, we found that NIRSAL is being investigated by several agencies to wit: the Nigeria Police Force, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the State Security Services (SSS), and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), in respect of the same subject-matter which is not only an unhealthy competition among the agencies of the same Federal Government of Nigeria, but a sheer waste of government resources.
“In view of the foregoing, you are requested to conclude your own investigation on the matter and forward the outcome of your investigation on the matter to the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation for legal advice and further necessary action.”
Malami said the letter above does not convey “the mischievous conclusion of stopping of the investigation of NIRSAL as portrayed by an online Media called Sahara Reporters.
“The clear and unambiguous directives of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation was that the other several agencies conducting parallel investigation on NIRSAL in respect of the same subject matter should stay action to allow the Nigeria Police Force to continue and conclude the investigations it had started. The directive is by implication that of continuation not stoppage of the investigation.
“The directive was inspired by the desire to avoid multiplicity, confusion and wastage of scarce resources. After all, only one charge can be competently filed against the entity in respect of the same subject/facts being investigated by the multiple agencies if found wanting at the end of the investigations.
“The office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation wishes to point out that the Police, which was directed to take control of the investigation is a body legally recognised and empowered under Section 214(1) and Section 29 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Police Act, respectively.”
