AGF Malami Sets Up Center To Oversee EFCC, Other Security Agencies

Amid the cold war between Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami and Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, the AGF has announced the setting up of a central body that will coordinate all criminal prosecutions in Nigeria come October.

This comes after AGF Malami alleged that the Magu-led EFCC had “manipulated and misused intelligence to the detriment of the fight against corruption and financial crimes in Nigeria.

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Malami had claimed that the “The EFCC is now in a state of paranoia,” as the commission allegedly frustrates government’s efforts to have an independent Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

According to the AGF and Justice Minister, creation of the Coordinating Centre became “eminently necessary” as it will house all federal government criminal justice agencies as well as investigation units for effective management.

The Justice Minister said this will enable his office to have first-hand information of the status of all criminal investigations.
Malami said also that the Coordinating Centre will amongst other things;

*Promote and enhance quick and easy coordination of all federal criminal cases within the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

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*To enable the Office of the HAGF to checkmate abuse and or proliferation of criminal cases in Nigeria,

*To facilitate centralization and easy access to information for a robust and effective criminal justice system in Nigeria,

*Address such anomalies that lead to consistent rejection of vital/relevant evidence in the course of prosecution,

*The witling down of the probative value of such evidence owing to inappropriate investigation,

*To advise every security agency carrying out investigation on the best lawful and admissible means of such investigation for effective prosecution thereafter,

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*Actively form part of every sensitive and important investigation, as a synergy to successful investigation and prosecution of such cases,

*Ensure that every evidence obtained maintain the nature, value and form admissible in law court,

*Ensure that every investigation is comprehensibly and conclusively conducted.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Salihu Othman Isah, Malami named agencies that will come under supervision of the Coordinating Centre as:

The Department of State Services (DSS); Nigeria Police Force (NPF); the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC); the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); the National Agency for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP); the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); the Directorate Military Investigation (DMI); and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

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