Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced this on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Malami said the government will do everything possible to ensure the protection of lives and property adding that where there is evidence of failure of the state government to ensure democratic order and security of lives, the Federal Government will prevail and will not rule out the possibility of imposing a state of emergency.

This comes amidst the wave of insecurity ravaging the state and the south-east region in general.

In the last couple of weeks, at least 10 persons have been killed in various attacks across Anambra.

On Tuesday the South-East Governors Forum said the ‘Ebube Agu’ security outfit will be established in all five states before the end of the year.

The governors said this as part of their eight-point agenda during a meeting that took place at the Enugu State Government House.

“The meeting agreed that the South-East Ebube Agu security outfit be launched in all the southeast states and laws passed in various southeast states before the end of 2021,” the communique read.

The security outfit was established in April as part of plans to checkmate the rising unrest in the region.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum David Umahi, has decried the degeneration of what started as a cry against marginalisation into violence in the region.

He, however, described the agitations for Biafra as madness, saying that most elites in the region do not want it.

According to him, all they want is to be treated equally like other regions in the country.

“Every elite in the south-east is not desirous of Biafra. We don’t want Biafra. We only want to be treated equally like other regions in Nigeria,” Governor Umahi said Wednesday, on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

“So, this idea of Biafra, Biafra is madness”.

ChannelsTV

Mr Malami told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York that the federal government had also succeeded in identifying and detaining “high profile individuals” responsible for funding terrorists’ activities in the country.

The AGF had announced in May that Nigerian government was about to begin the prosecution of about 400 suspected Boko Haram financiers and was profiling some high-profile Nigerians strongly suspected to be financing terrorism for prosecution.

The delay in their prosecution and unveiling the suspects have been criticised in certain quarters, but Mr Malami assured the federal government was determined to take stringent measures to counter insurgency in the country.

“We have succeeded in identifying those that are responsible for funding terrorists,” the minister said.

“We have also blocked the leakages associated with funding and then embarking on aggressive investigation that is indeed impacting positively in term of the fight against terrorism.

“But then, the truth of the matter is that investigation is ongoing, is advancing and for the purpose of investigation, I wouldn’t like to be pre-emptive in terms of making disclosures that would have the effect of undermining the successes we are recording as far as investigation is concerned.

“But one thing I can tell you for sure is that whatever we do in terms of detention and in terms of arrest is indeed backed by judicial process.

“We have indeed obtained a legitimate court order taking into consideration what we have presented before the court; the court eventually exercised its discretion in terms of granting orders that we can have them in custody.

“This is pending the conclusion of investigation, which investigation in essence is indeed deeply taking place and we are making a lot of successes and recording a lot of progress in the direction of investigation.”

‘Work in progress’

The chief law officer of Nigeria, however, said the issue of terrorism financing was a work in progress and would not like to be pre-emptive in terms of investigation.

“But one thing I can say for sure is, arising from such arrests, the terrorist funding and financing has indeed been crippled substantially and that eventually translated to some major improvements being recorded as far as crippling the strength of terrorists is concerned within the nation.

“You can see visibly that we are indeed witnessing tremendous successes associated with the Boko Haram, which translate to significant decimation of the Boko Haram terrorists.

“They (Boko Haram) have been decimated to a larger extent and you can see what is unfolding as far as the North West banditry activities are concerned.

“They (bandits) are as well been decimated to a larger degree. All these are indeed the effect of what we have done,” he said.

Mr Malami also said that Nigeria was creating a consensus building towards making assets recovery easier for countries.

The minister recalled that Nigeria had recovered 322 million dollars from Switzerland in 2017 and 311 million dollars from the U.S. in 2020.

He said Nigeria was looking at the possibility of recovering further 200 million pounds from the U.S. aside other associated assets being pursued in some other countries.

“We are pursuing a lot of assets across the globe and we intend very soon, we are coordinating a further meeting relating to huge recovery in U.K. associated with certain personalities.

“But I would not like to give further disclosure in respect of that to put into consideration the need not to be pre-emptive as far as our strategies are concerned.

He said the 311 million dollars recovered from Switzerland was deployed to execute the Abuja-Kano highway, the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Second Niger Bridge.

“So I think we are doing wonderfully well in terms of deploying the recovery of the looted assets and deploying same in projects that impact positively on the lives of people,” he said.

Source: Premium Times

“Pursuant to Mr. President’s approval and directives, I also wish to request Your Excellency to direct the State Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and Regulatory Institutions of Financial Sector to engage and grant access to the appointed Recovery Agents for the purpose of the Audit and Recovery of Stamp Duty to ensure that all established liabilities are remitted as appropriate,” the letter reads in part.

The Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the minister, Dr. Umar Gwandu, said in a statement made on Wednesday that no actual recovery has been made and added that recoveries are being conducted for the Federal Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Financial Institutions and that liabilities are being established at this stage.

According to the statement, Section 111 of the Stamp Duty Act granted the AGF an exclusive power to recover any outstanding payment or remittances related to stamp duty.

The letters, Gwandu said, were written pursuant to the provision of Section 111 of the Stamp Duty Act which provides that, “all duties, fines, penalties and debts due to the Government of the Federation imposed by this Act shall be recoverable in a summarily manner in the name of the Attorney General of the Federation or the State”.

He said what the AGF did, was to activate those powers, conduct the audit and recovery of back years stamp duty in collaboration with stakeholders.

Malami said the Federal Government has set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Audit and Recovery of Back years Stamp Duties from January 15, 2016, to June 30, 2020.

Members of the committee, he said, were drawn from the AGF’s office, in collaboration with relevant agencies including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria, Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission, among others.

In view of the need to provide a comprehensive overview of the process and for proper understanding of the task, the Statement said the AGF organized a meeting with Attorneys General of States as they have similar powers with respect of stamp duty of Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Financial Institutions in their respective states.

Attorneys-general of the 36 states of the federation had last week, dragged Malami before the Supreme Court over alleged failure of the federal government to remit funds generated from stamp duties into the accounts of state governments.

The states said in their suit that they are the sole authority to collect stamp duties and not the federal government.

In the suit marked SC/CV/690/2021, dated, August 24, the attorneys are asking the court to issue an order directing Malami to account for and pay back all monies collected by way of stamp duties on individual persons’ transactions within the respective states of the Plaintiffs from the period 2015-2020 and thereafter till the time of the judgment as well as an order directing him to pay them all the sum of monies amounting to N176,067,400,000,00) representing ascertained and admitted collected stamp duties on individual persons’ transactions within their respective states for the period of 2015- 2020 and thereafter till the time of the judgment of the court or any other sum as they may be found entitled by the court.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant by himself, privies, agents or any persons by whatever name or how so ever called from appointing anyone for the purpose of collecting Stamp Duties on individual persons’ transactions within the respective states of the plaintiffs henceforth”, among other reliefs.

Source: Nigerian Tribune

He was intercepted on June 27.

Kanu is expected to be re-arraigned before the Federal High Court for the continuation of his trial.

This was made known at a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

According to Mr Malami, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Federal Government’s application to detain the IPOB leader in a DSS facility ahead of the continuation of his trial.

Justice Nyako also granted the application for the accelerated hearing of his trial to July 26 and 27 as against the earlier adjourned date of October 20.

Mr Kanu has repeatedly called for the breakaway of a significant chunk of southern Nigeria to form the Republic of Biafra.

He is expected to face charges of treason in court.

On October 2015, he was arrested by Nigerian authorities on an 11-count charge bordering on “terrorism, treasonable felony, managing an unlawful society, publication of defamatory  matter, illegal possession of firearms and improper importation of goods, among others.”

He was granted bail on April 2017 for medical reasons.

However, Mr Kanu fled the country in September 2017 after an invasion of his home by the military in Afara-Ukwu, near Umuahia, Abia State.

Since then he has been sighted in Israel and has continued to rally his supporters  in Nigeria to employ violence in achieving secession.

“He has, upon jumping bail, been accused of engaging in subversive activities that include inciting violence through television, radio and online broadcasts against Nigeria and Nigerian State and institutions,” Mr Malami said on Tuesday.

“Kanu was also accused of instigating violence especially in the Southeastern Nigeria that resulted in the loss of lives and property of civilians, military, para military, police forces and destruction of civil institutions and symbols of authorities.”

Read the full text of Mr Malami’s speech at the press conference in Abuja:

Text of Press Conference on Tuesday 29th June, 2021 by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN on the Interception of Fugitive Nnamdi Kanu back to Nigeria to face trial

Self-aclaimed leader of the proscribed secessionist Indegenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has been through the collaborative efforts of Nigerian intelligence and security services.

He has been brought back to Nigeria in order to continue facing trial after disappearing while on bail regarding 11 count charge against him.

Recent steps taken by the Federal Government saw to the interception of the fugitive Kanu on Sunday the 27th day of June, 2021.

Nwannekaenyi Nnamdi Ngozichukwu Okwu-Kanu, born 25th day of September, 1967 at Afaraukwu, Abia State is a holder of Nigerian Passport No. A05136827 first issued 17th October 2013 at FESTAC, Lagos.

It is recalled that Kanu was arrested  on 14th October, 2015 on 11 count charge bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, managing an unlawful society, publication of defamatory  matter, illegal possession of firearms and improper importation of goods, among others.

A judge at the Federal High Court, Abuja revoked Kanu’s bail that was granted him on health ground and issued a bench warrant for his arrest on the same date, over his failure to appear in court for hearing.

He has, upon jumping bail, been accused of engaging in subversive activities that include inciting violence through television, radio and online broadcasts against Nigeria and Nigerian State and institutions.

Kanu was also accused of instigating violence especially in the Southeastern Nigeria that resulted in the loss of lives and property of civilians, military, para military, police forces and destruction of civil institutions and symbols of authorities.

Abubakar Malami, SAN
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice
29th June, 2021.