The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, said on Wednesday that the Federal Government has launched an investigation into what transpired between the operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) and Omoyele Sowore, Convener of the RevolutionNow protest, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, last Friday.
Malami made this known while answering questions from journalists shortly after he visited the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho and the President, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benedict Kanyip.
He, explained that his visit to the Chief Judge and the President of the Industrial Court was to congratulate them on their confirmation by the Senate as substantive heads and not over Sowore’s case.
Malami insisted that Sowore’s case was not the only case the Federal Government was involved in and certainly not the most serious and so could not warrant his visiting the Chief Judge because of it.
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He said: “Sowore’s case is not the only case that the Federal Government is involved in. We have multiple cases and more serious cases than that of Sowore pending.
“Generally, the case of Sowore is certainly not an exception. So, I cannot be here for an exclusive case.”
On the alleged invasion of the court last Friday by operatives of the DSS to re-arrest Sowore, the AGF had this to say: “Whatever affects the integrity of the court is a worrisome issue for us.
“But then, I can never be preemptive of an incident over which I was not a live witness.
“But one thing I am certain of is that the government has put in place mechanism for investigation of the reported incident.
“So, I would not like to be preemptive in terms of a conclusion, one way or the other, without allowing the consummation and conclusion of the investigation process.
“As a government, we have established a tradition of respect and interest to the independence of the judiciary.”
Malami reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to the independence of the judiciary saying, “we are looking at the possibility of coming up with an Executive Order to strengthen the independence of the judiciary.”
Kanyip, who thanked the minister for the visit, said the greatest challenge facing the court was how to reduce the trial time because justice delay is justice denied.
