The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has dismissed claims that politics played a role in the Federal Government’s decision to withdraw charges against some prominent Nigerians.
Speaking at a management retreat of the Ministry of Justice in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Prince Fagbemi, SAN, said the decisions were guided strictly by the facts of each case, not political connections. He cited recent examples involving Honeywell Group Chairman, Dr Oba Otudeko, and former AMCON Managing Director, Ahmed Kuru.
Otudeko and three others had been facing a 13-count charge over a N12.3 billion First Bank loan. But, the AGF explained that since First Bank had fully recovered the funds and withdrawn its complaint, there was no basis for prosecution. “Once the complainant has no grievance, the law does not encourage needless trials”, he said.
In Kuru’s case, Prince Fagbemi noted that one of the disputed transactions involved an AMCON investment of about N20 million, which the EFCC had already recovered. Since the investment was not in Kuru’s personal name, the AGF argued that no crime could be linked to him directly.
He, however, stressed that two other pending cases, including one connected to Arik Air, would continue in court.
The AGF also clarified the decision to drop charges against Fidelity Bank’s Managing Director, Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, explaining that the allegations predated her leadership of the Bank, and she had no personal role in the matter.
Rejecting insinuations of political interference, the Justice Minister insisted that President Bola Tinubu did not dictate the outcome of the cases. “Prosecutions cannot be weaponised, or turned into political theatre. Every case must stand on its merit”, he said. He added that pursuing weak or baseless cases, wastes Government’s resources and undermines public trust in the justice system. The Minister stressed that the Ministry of Justice will remain focused on strengthening rule of law, ensuring fair trials, and protecting national interest.
The defence of the Government’s stance, comes amid a wider public debate on the handling of corruption cases in Nigeria. Critics often point to past controversies, such as dropped charges against politically exposed persons, as reasons for scepticism. Prince Fagbemi, however, urged Nigerians to judge each case individually, rather than assume bias.
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