Femi Falana(SAN), has told Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), that he risks losing his position, if he fails to secure the release of Omoyele Sowore.
Falana, counsel to the convener of the RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore on Monday asked Malami to use his office to secure Sowore’s release — After the AGF took over the case from the Department of State Services (DSS), last Friday.
However, Malami revealed that he cannot take any decision on Sowore’s release.
Reacting to this in a statement on Tuesday, Falana said, “With respect, Mr. Malami has not taken cognizance of the legal implications of taking over a pending criminal case in exercise of the powers of an Attorney-General under the common law and the Constitution.”
“In the case of State v Ilori (1983) JELR 51804 (SC) the Supreme Court dwelt in extenso on the powers of an Attorney-General under section 193 of the 1979 Constitution which is in pari materia with section 174 of the 1999 Constitution. In that case Eso JSC of blessed memory said inter alia:
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“An Attorney-General, who proposes to act under his powers to institute and undertake, take over and continue or discontinue criminal proceedings would need to bear in mind public interest, interests of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process before he exercises his powers, since if he ignores any of these, he would run the risk of exposing himself to removal or reassignment by his appointor, and above all – and this is most important – also to public opinion.
“‘The powers of the Attorney-General under s. 191, (and notwithstanding sub-section (3) thereof) are still a matter for his quasi-judicial discretion and one within his complete province. He still possesses the constitutional powers in full and the responsibility for any decision thereupon rests solely on him.
“Since Mr. Malami has taken over the case of FRN v Sowore v Another he is deemed to possess ‘the constitutional powers in full and the responsibility for any decision thereupon rests solely on him.’ Therefore, he cannot like Pontius Pilate wash of his hands with respect to the illegal detention of Sowore by the State Security Service. Furthermore, since section 287 of the Constitution has imposed a legal obligation on all authorities and persons in Nigeria to comply with the decisions of all competent courts the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Malami is duty bound to direct the State Security Service to release Sowore on bail in compliance with the valid and subsisting order of the federal high court.”
