Minister of Justice

AGF Malami: Inmates on death row may get life

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), said on Tuesday that the Federal Government was planning a process of commuting the death penalty of condemned inmates with over 10 years on death row to life imprisonment. Malami who said this in Abuja at a press briefing on the achievements of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Service Reform and Decongestion, also said inmates awaiting trial for upwards of five years might be released. But he said considering the increasing number of incidents of sexual and kidnap cases, inmates who had been convicted for such offences would not be considered for release during the proposed exercise. He stated, “Also, to be revisited is the issue of condemned convicts on death row for over ten (10) years wi...

Nigerian government frees 7,813 inmates in 18 states, FCT

The Federal Government, on Tuesday, said it has released a total of 7, 813 inmates from various Correctional Centers since the outbreak of Coronavirus in the country. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, who made the disclosure at a press conference in Abuja, said FG took the decision so as to curb the spread of the virus among inmates. Malami said the Federal Executive Council had earlier in 2017, passed a resolution that directed the Federal Ministry of Justice to put in place measures to fast track the decongestion of Correctional Centres nationwide. He said as a result of the resolution, a Presidential Committee on Correctional Service Reform and Decongestion was inaugurated in October 2017. Highlighting some achievements of the Pres...

Nigeria invites bid for monitoring of spending of Abacha loot

File Photo The Federal Ministry of Justice on Thursday opened technical bids for Consultancy Service to monitor the implementation of Abacha loot III. Newsmen that the Consultancy Service is to undertake the monitoring of the implementation of the tripartite agreement on the Sharing, Transfer, Disposition, Repatriation and Management of the Abacha Forfeited Assets. Mrs Ladidi Mohammed, Head, Asset Recovery and Management Unit, Ministry of justice declared open the bidding process. Mohammed said the process is in tandem with the Asset Return Agreement of Feb. 3 by the Nigeria government, the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey. ‘`This Agreement is based on international law and cooperation measures that set out the procedures for the repatriation, transfer, disposition and management ...

AGF: I do not have personal ‘debt collectors’

The Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, says the recovery agents engaged by his office are institutional recovery agents for the federal government. Dr Umar Gwandu, Special Assistant to the Minister on Media and Public Relations made the clarification in a statement on Friday in Abuja. “Malami in his personal capacity does not have any personal debt collectors for the recovery of federal government debts. “For the avoidance of doubt, the office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice does not engage recovery agents based on personal gratification or individual’s inclinations’’. He said that none of those engaged by the Federal Government in the recovery of assets and generation of revenues belonging to the government work for “Malami”, as mischievously portrayed in some medi...

President Buhari signs amended executive order on voluntary overseas asset declaration

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the 2018 Amended Executive Order 008 on Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularization Scheme (VOARS). Dr Umar Gwandu, Special Assistant to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Media and Public Relations disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja. “As a result of stakeholders input and need to strengthen implementation mechanisms and structures, the Order was reviewed. “Consequently, the Amendment to the Executive Order 008 was signed on May 20 by President Buhari’’. He said the Executive Order 008 as amended mandated the Attorney-General of the Federation to set up and implement a Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularisation Scheme otherwise referred to as `VOARS’. “VOARS gives all relevant persons and their intermediaries who have default...