By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami has revealed why former Defence Minister, Sambo Dasuki and leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheik El-zak zaky have remained in detention despite court orders to release them.
Malami explained this while responding to questions during his screening at the senate, in Abuja, on Friday.
Malami was accused by Eyinnaya Abaribe, the Senate minority leader, of failing to guarantee the rights of some Nigerians, demanding an explanation.
“Would you be kind to explain to Nigerians why you as attorney general has not been able to guarantee the right of those Nigerians who have been granted bail and are still in custody?” the senator asked.
Responding to the question, Malami said it is his responsibility to protect the interest of Nigerians and not the rights of individuals.
“I concede that I have had a responsibility as the attorney general of the federation to protect individual rights but looking at the provisions of section 174 of the constitution of Nigeria, I want to reiterate and state further that the office of the attorney general is meant to protect public interest and where the individual interest conflicts with public interest, the interest of 180 million Nigerians that are interested in having this country integrated must naturally prevail,” he said.
“And I think that position has been very well captured by the apex court that stated in the case of Asare Dokubo vs Federal Republic of Nigeria that when an individual interest conflicts the public interest, the public interest naturally prevails.”
Sundiata Post recalls that former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheik Ibraheem El- zak zaky among others have remained in detention despite court orders asking them to be released.
Malami also informed that the ministry under his watch had facilitated the prosecution of 63 terrorism cases and secured 59 convictions.
He said the Federal Government through the ministry had also increased the recovering of looted public funds in 2015 from N19 billion to N279 billion in 2018.
On why some bills passed by the senate were not signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, Malami said that the issue was purely absence of intense collaborations in the various processes of passing the bills.
He said that there was the need to establish deep rooted collaborations from conception of a bill to convocation of public hearing to seek input of varied opinions for the good of the public.
Malami said that the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) was refused assent because public interest was not factored in the bill.
He said that the PIGB passed provided more priority to the individual more than the public interest.
He also said the federal government had also taken up policies that would ensure the independence on funding of the Judiciary.
Malami, who got commendations for his laudable contributions as AGF was later asked to take a bow; Sirika (Katsina State), a former member of the senate was also asked to take a bow.