President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to strike out all suits seeking the removal of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrhim Magu, from office.
“This honourable court cannot invoke its judicial powers under Section 6(6)(b) (of the Constitution) to hear and determine this case,” the President and the AGF stated in a preliminary objection challenging the competence of a suit seeking Magu’s removal from office.
The AGF took the legal position backing Magu’s appointment despite the reported strained relationship between the minister and the acting EFCC chairman.
There are said to be pending 17 suits filed in support and against Magu’s appointment, following the refusal of the Senate to confirm the appointment of Magu as the substantive EFCC chairman on two different occasions.
One of the suits is said to be pending before the Yola Division of the Federal High Court, another in the Kano Division, while the rest are said to be pending before the Abuja Division of the court.
It was learnt that the President and the AGF took the same position in all of the suits seeking Magu’s removal from office.
Responding to one of the suits seeking Magu’s sacking, jointly initiated by two lawyers, Ahmed Yusuf and Peter Asa, on March 24, 2017, Malami filed a preliminary objection to the matter on behalf of himself and Buhari, who is the fourth respondent to the suit.
The Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata, leading Mr. Tijani Gazali and other lawyers in the ministry, signed the preliminary objection on behalf of the President and the AGF. – Punch.
