- Says all cases treated on merit
- ’How First Bank, Oba Otudeko’s case was settled’
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), yesterday responded to speculations about the administration of justice under the current political dispensation in the country.
Fagbemi said contrary to insinuations, he is not under any form of pressure from President Bola Tinubu to drop charges against friends of the administration.
Fagbemi said the Judiciary under the current administration respects the rule of law and has never allowed political considerations or sentiments to influence judicial actions and decisions.
He spoke on the sidelines of the 2025 Ministry of Justice top management retreat at the Four Point by Sheraton hotel, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom state.
Citing some of the cases against high-profile Nigerians on which critics based their accusations, the AGF said those particular cases had no concrete substance against the people involved.
He referred to the cases involving the Chairman of the Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko and a former Managing Director of the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Yusuf.
The AGF said, “What has the president got to do with these? It’s a criminal case. And we are doing what we feel and believe should be the appropriate step.
“Let me use this opportunity to remind us all that the question of prosecution, when you talk of the rule of law, does not admit of weaponising prosecution.
“You do or treat each case on its own merit. And you do not get the courts involved in, or turn the courts into what I would call theatres of spectacle.
“You take each case on its own merit. If a case is not made out, it is just not made out. There is no two ways about it. You don’t have to dissipate government energy or resources and waste the time of the court.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had filed a 13-count charge against Otudeko and three others in suit No. FHC/L/20C/2025.
Otudeko, former First Bank Managing Director Olabisi Onasanya, former Honeywell board member Soji Akintayo, and Anchorage Leisure Limited were accused of conspiring to fraudulently obtain N12.3bn from First Bank of Nigeria under the guise of credit facilities for V-TECH Dynamic Links Ltd. and Stallion Nigeria Ltd.
“Coming to the issue of Oba Otudeko, which has to do with the management of First Bank, what happened was that the complainants came and said, ‘We are withdrawing our complaints.’
“The complainants said, ‘We have gotten all that we thought was lost or was taken away.’ Both parties agreed. So why do you want to waste government resources again?”
The AGF said decisions around criminal law are based on merit and not influenced by sentiments, emotions or political considerations, adding that in criminal law, there are no gaps.
In the case of Ahmed Kuru, he said, “What happened was that he was not connected; there was nothing to try him for. What was involved was an investment in the name of AMCON, in the sum of about, I think, N20 million.
“So, both the principal and the interest were recovered by the EFCC. It was not in any individual’s name. So what offence has been committed?
“But don’t forget, there are two other cases. There was one involving, I think, about N5 billion, involving another person, whose name I cannot remember now. For that one, because we believe that there is, what I would call, a prima facie case, we said it should continue.
“There is another one against Kuru, in relation to his activities as either manager or so in Arik Airline. That one, I also found that there were some questions to be answered.
“In other words, we have a prima facie case against him there, and I ordered that that one should continue. So they are on it in respect of that one.”
FG to adopt technology to ease justice delivery
Addressing participants at the retreat, Fagbemi said the federal government has embarked on moves to adopt technology to ease the delivery of justice in the country.
He said departments, units and directorates of the Justice Ministry have already been directed to align their priorities with established digital frameworks such as the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), the National Policy on Justice, as well as the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
He said: ”The justice sector is one of the catalysts for national development. There can be no sustainable growth without access to justice, respect for the rule of law, and a strengthened justice system.
“The criminal justice sector, in particular, faces daunting challenges: inadequate access to justice, overcrowded correctional facilities, delays in trials, and other systemic inefficiencies. These issues require urgent and technology-driven solutions.
”Furthermore, with the increasing reliance of citizens on technology to access services, the ministry can no longer depend solely on traditional modes of communication or manual processes.
“If we are to meet the expectations of Nigerians and support the President’s vision for justice sector reforms, we must embrace digital tools that guarantee timely and efficient service delivery.
”The Ministry must therefore take the lead in adopting technology to enhance justice delivery. The challenges of today demand that justice never sleeps. With growing legal demands and societal pressures, we must adopt innovative strategies to keep the wheels of justice continuously in motion.”
Fagbemi charged all departments, units, and directorates to align their priorities with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), the National Policy on Justice, and the Renewed Hope Agenda.
”These frameworks all underscore the centrality of technology in service delivery. Our task must go beyond compliance; it must embody proactive leadership in implementation, characterised by digital transformation, agile governance, strategic foresight, and data-driven decision-making.”
Also speaking, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Uno Eno, who declared the retreat opened, commended the Minister of Justice for taking bold reforms aimed at strengthening the justice sector administration in the country.
He said such initiatives align with the ARISE agenda of the state government, adding that Akwa Ibom has fully embraced e-governance.
