The attorney general of the Federation, Abubakar Malami has reacted to a press statement from the South-West Governors Forum condemning the humiliation of Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwoolu by a Chief Superintendent of police.

POLITICS NIGERIA recalls that on Tuesday, the unnamed police officer openly defied the order of Gov. Sanwo-Olu, to vacate the Magodo Phase 2 Estate area of the state.

The CSP told the governor that he and his armed colleagues were at the estate on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba; as well as the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Reacting to the development on Wednesday, the south-west governor forum condemned Malami's action. However, in a statement sent to POLITICS NIGERIA on Wednesday evening, Malami described the press release from the governors as 'a vituperation of ulterior motives'.

"It is important to state that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation belongs to the Executive arm of the Government. The Supreme Court belongs to the Judiciary. The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice takes exception to the Southwest Governors unjustifiable insinuation of impunity against the office of the Attorney General over execution of a judgment of the Supreme Court."

"The role of the executive is, in this respect, simply to aide the maintenance of law and order in due compliance with rule of law arising from giving effect to the judgment of the apex court of the land."

"Let it be known that the issue is regarding a Supreme Court Judgement that was delivered in 2012 long before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration in office at a time when Malami was not a Minister. The judgment was a reaffirmation of the judgments of Court of Appeal and High Court delivered on 31st December, 1993."

"The Press Release came to us as a surprise. We see it as a vituperation of ulterior motives of some political class who derived pleasure in dragging the name of Malami in the mud to achieve some sinister objectives."

"It is widely reported in the papers that the Lagos state Governor was quoted to have said "I've spoken extensively with the Inspector-General of Police and the Honourable Attorney-General, and we've resolved all the issues".

"The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, would appreciate if the coalition of the Governors will help to unravel the circumstances preventing the Lagos State Government from enforcing the court order despite several attempts from 2012- 2015 and so-called settlement initiative started in 2016. Some of the cardinal pillars of democratic Government are the doctrine of separation of powers and obedience to the rule of law inclusive of Court Orders."

"It is a common knowledge that execution of the judgment and orders of Courts of competent jurisdiction, and the Court of last resort in the circumstances remains a cardinal component of the rule of law and the office of the Attorney General wonders how maintenance of the law and orders in the course of execution of the judgment of the supreme can be adjudged by imagination of the governors to be unruly."

"We want restate that sanctity of the rule of law is not a matter of choice.", the statement signed by the AGF's media aide, Umar Gwandu read.

mrvitalis:
And some people think north plans to hand over to south west LMAO

mrvitalis:
And some people think north plans to hand over to south west LMAO

Sunday2021:
is that a crime? Why are you people like this? The supreme Court pass a judgement and these people say no! they will not abide by the supreme Court judgement, what do you expect Malami to do?

Akinsete19:
What nonsense
I don't like the way Malami behaves but there was a supreme court judgment which have to be implemented.

FreeStuffsNG:
They should face Supreme Court that pronounced that the true owners of the land were cheated and the land be returned to them.

In my opinion, this issue has absolutely nothing to do with Malami and they will be playing to the gallery by attempting to politicize it. Thank God the true owners of the land who were cheated for several years took the path of legal redress instead of taking the laws into their own hands. The SC judgement is a serious indictment on the state and it will be nice if the judgement winners petition EFCC to investigate and prosecute those Lagos State officials who originally sold the land after dispossessing the true owners .

This issue can't be closed with just returning the land, it's an opportunity to see the faces of those who put LASG in this disgraceful position where the Governor is engaging in the criminality of attempting to block the enforcement of a SC judgement and even the LASG AG resorted to twisting the SC judgement and outrightly threatening the judgement winners.
With the kind of advice the Attorney General gave the Governor, the judgement winners should report the AG to NJC and NBA disciplinary committee.

Until the judgement winners petition EFCC, those standing against the execution of the judgement won't realise the severity of the injustice committed against private citizens who had to go hungry for years just to get back their property.

mrvitalis:
And some people think north plans to hand over to south west LMAO

"Let it be known that the issue is regarding a Supreme Court Judgement that was delivered in 2012 long before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration in office at a time when Malami was not a Minister. The judgment was a reaffirmation of the judgments of Court of Appeal and High Court delivered on 31st December, 1993."