Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation,
says he disobeys some court orders in a bid to protect public interest.
He said this while responding to questions during his
screening at the senate, in Abuja, on Friday.
Eyinnaya Abaribe, senate minority leader, had accused the
former attorney general of the federation of failing to guarantee the rights of
some Nigerians, demanding an
explanation.
“Would you be kind to explain to Nigerians why you as
attorney general has not been able to guarantee the right of those Nigerians
who have been granted bail and are still in custody?” the senator asked.
In his response, Malami said it is his responsibility to
protect the interest of Nigerians and not the rights of individuals.
However, he added that public interest always supersedes
individual rights.
“I concede that I have had a responsibility as the attorney
general of the federation to protect individual rights but looking at the
provisions of section 174 of the constitution of Nigeria, I want to reiterate
and state further that the office of the attorney general is meant to protect
public interest and where the individual interest conflicts with public
interest, the interest of 180 million Nigerians that are interested in having
this country integrated must naturally prevail,” he said.
“And I think that position has been very well captured by
the apex court that stated in the case of Asare Dokubo vs Federal Republic of
Nigeria that when an individual interest conflicts the public interest, the
public interest naturally prevails.”
Malami has been criticised over the manner the federal
government handled the cases of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser,
Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), among
other detainees who were granted bail by the courts but are still in custody.
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