by Dyepkazah Shibayan,
Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), says the federal government will not allow any individual or group to compromise the peace and security of the country.
Speaking while declaring a three-day summit open for the 36 states attorneys-general on Friday, Malami said where the action or interest of an individual presents an imminent threat to national interest, the individual interest must be subjected to the national interest.
He said the section 174 and 211 empowers them as chief law officers to institute criminal proceedings against any person who poses a treat to the country’s unity.
“Permit me to draw attention to the current happenings wherein some people have overheated the nation’s polity through hate speech with its divisive implication for the unity, peace, and security of the country,” he said.
“As the chief law officer of the nation and custodian of her legal conscience, we have a responsibility to ensure that the unity, peace and security of the country are not compromised by selfish interest over and above national interest.
“The constitution under section 174 and 211 empowers us as chief law officers to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court of law in respect of any offence under any act of the national assembly.”
He explained that the essence of the rule of law was the supremacy of the law over all institutions and persons irrespective of his political and social standing in the society.
”No one is above the law, for anyone who chooses to deliberately promote discord and threaten the security of the country, it is our responsibility to ensure the full weight of the law is brought to bear on such person,” he said.
He directed all state attorney-general to prosecute all federal offenses in their states on behalf of his office.
Malami urged them to put the directive into action and ensure that hate speeches were quickly nipped in the bud.
Muhammadu Bindow, governor of Adamawa, said his government would support any meaningful judicial and justice reform for the interest of the people.
