* AGF, Abubakar Malami * Pix source : Voice of Nigeria
As the alleged invasion of Federal High Court in Abuja by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest the #RevolutionNow Protests Convener, Omoyele Sowore continues to generate reactions, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), said that he has taken over the case against the human right activist.
A statement by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Dr. Umar Gwandu, confirmed the taken over of the case.
The statement referred to a December 11, 2019 letter sent on behalf of the AGF by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mr. Dayo Apata (SAN), to the Director-General of DSS, Yusuf Bichi, directing the security agency to “promptly forward all the case files” to the AGF office.
The letter by Apata, who doubles as the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, was a response to a September 9, 2019 letter sent to the AGF.
“The Solicitor-General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, SAN, who signed the letter, referred to a letter from the DSS office on September 9, 2019,” the statement by the media aide to the AGF reads in part.
The letter quoted Apata’s letter as stating that “the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice upon a further review of the case, has directed the immediate takeover of the prosecution of all charges in respect of Omoyole Sowore by the Federal Ministry of Justice, in line with the provisions of Sections 150(1) and 174 (1) (a-c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
It also requested the Director to “promptly forward all the case files” in respect of Omoyele Sowore to the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The statement by the media aide to the AGF emphasised that the decision to take over the case was to ensure speedy attention.
