Lateef Fagbemi: Can he, as Justice Minister, rein in the DSS, EFCC?
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Once the opportunity to ask questions came up during the ministerial screening of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Lateef Fagbemi, a bonafide constitutional lawyer, almost every hand was up. Most of the lawmakers were eager to ask him questions around the office they were almost certain he would occupy – Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
And for the nearly two hours he stood on the dais, Fagbemi discharged himself to the amusement of his audience both in the Senate and those watching live from home. He was blunt with his answers, calling a spade a spade.
For instance, when asked about the anti-corruption fight in Nigeria, he faulted the process, saying only in Nigeria does that kind of model exist. The model being that the investigating body, that is, the police, EFCC, ICPC or DSS, double as the prosecuting agency. He said if he has the chance, he would unbundle the agencies and strip them of their prosecutorial powers. “Let them do the investigation and let another agency be in-charge of prosecution. There has to be another agency serving as a check on them,” Fagbemi said.
In what appears to be a reminiscence of the DSS and the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria situation, Fagbemi said the DSS and EFCC cannot be a law unto themselves, give the impression of catching a big fish but end up with little or no evidence to back up the claim.
In a summary, Fagbemi insisted that investigation must come before arrest and not the other way round.
He said a situation must be created like what happened in the case of Ramon Abass, popularly known as Hushpuppi, whose investigation took a long while before arrest. And once he was arrested, he pleaded guilty because of the weight of evidence shown to him. He said Nigeria can not afford to follow a different path.
It remains to be seen if Tinubu will put Fagbemi in the Ministry of Justice, and also whether functioning in that capacity, would be bold to initiate those reforms he believes in.
Fagbemi SAN is a prominent Nigerian lawyer, jurist, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who has made significant contributions to the development of law and justice in Nigeria. He has been involved in various landmark cases and is widely respected for his expertise and professionalism in the legal profession.
He was born on June 22, 1956, in Kwara State, Nigeria. He attended the University of Lagos, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1981. He later obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the same institution in 1984.
He is a protégée of the Human Rights Defender, Gani Fawehinmi. He began his career as a counsel in the law firm of Gani Fawehinmi & Co and later founded his own law firm, Lateef Fagbemi & Co.
Fagbemi has been involved in numerous high-profile cases, including election petitions and other constitutional matters. He is the APC counsel at the election petition tribunal. He is expected to be appointed as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
