One Year Anniversary: FG secured 166 criminal convictions – Justice Minister, Fagbemi

Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, disclosed on Friday that the Federal Government secured 166 criminal convictions within the last one year.

He made the disclosure while presenting his scorecard at the ongoing Ministering Sectoral Updates in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Fagbemi said the ministry, in conjunction with relevant security and law enforcement agencies, developed a framework for joint investigation and collaboration, stressing that this was geared towards avoiding challenges to successful prosecution.

Accordingly, he said within the period under review, “we secured 166 convictions of criminal cases”, adding that among them were 87 convictions for terrorism cases.

“I’m pleased to report that the ministry has resumed the trial of terrorism cases in conjunction with Legal Aid Council and the National Human Rights Commission and other critical stakeholders.

“The percentage of terrorism cases initiated and terrorism cases concluded concluded within the period has been significant,” he revealed.

He equally disclosed that 13 convictions relating to terrorism financing cases were also secured within the last one year.

The Attorney General also informed Nigerians that 625 cases were initiated against the President, the Federal Government of Nigeria and its agencies before states, federal and ECOWAS courts within the same period.

When asked what the government was doing over “abduction of journalists” from their homes, the Minister said the President Bola Tinubu government was operating on rule of law and justice.

He assured that regardless of whether a journalist was involved or not, “no one will be held outside the laws of the country.

“You don’t rationalize justice, you dispense it. If people deserve to be released, you release them.”

Other ministers who have presented their scorecards today, Friday, included the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, as well as Minister of Police Affairs, Sen. (Dr.) Ibrahim Gaidam.

In his presentation, the health minister told the gathering that efforts had been made through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to reduce the circulation of fake drugs.

He announced that NAFDAC had already exceeded the target set for it, stressing that “the prevalence of fake drugs is now less than 10 percent.”

The minister said though still not good enough, it was a good departure from the past.

Pate also said the ministry had been able to contain the spread of infections diseases, including meningitis, Lassa fever and other mysterious diseases.