The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has declared that those found guilty of corruption should
not enjoy state pardon.
He also advised law enforcement agencies against conducting shoddy investigations, urging them to ensure they have their facts straight before summoning anyone for questioning.
According to a statement made available to newsmen by his media aide, Kamarudeen Ogundele, the AGF spoke at a roundtable organized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for state Attorneys General in Abuja on Monday. The AGF stated, “I will suggest in our next constitution review exercise that we exclude those found guilty of corruption from benefiting from the powers of ‘Prerogative of Mercy’ to serve as a deterrent to others.”
Fagbemi emphasized that the cooperation of all stakeholders, especially the Attorneys General, is crucial in the fight against corruption. He advised them to avoid nepotism, political witch-hunting, rivalry, and bigotry in their efforts to combat corruption, particularly to please their governors.
He also stated that there should be no justification for rationalizing corruption or crimes, adding that their legal opinions on cases must be based on facts as practiced in advanced countries. The AGF remarked, “We should not give in to public sentiment. In Nigeria, we are polarised along political lines.”
Fagbemi then advised participants and anti-graft agencies to conduct thorough investigations of cases before arresting suspects to avoid media trials.
“Let us be thorough and take our time before inviting someone for questioning. Don’t do a shoddy job,” he said, and cautioned against filing excessive charges against defendants just to generate public frenzy.
“Nobody wants a 50-count charge. Make it five or six and be sure. Make sure you get him (the suspect) in,” the Minister concluded.
