A legal luminary and ministerial nominee from Kwara State, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has promised to work with the National Assembly and judiciary if he is appointed as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation by President Bola Tinubu.
He disclosed this during the screening exercise at the floor of the Senate on Wednesday.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) cannot continue to disobey court orders.
Fielding questions from the lawmakers on disobedience to court orders by federal agencies, Fagbemi, who was accompanied to the screening exercise by over 10 senior advocates, said that the DSS and the EFCC should conduct investigation before arrest and not arrest before investigation.
According to him, “The major areas where we have these disobedience of court orders, with main respect, are between these agencies. My advice will be that in matters of law, the AGF should be involved.
“DSS cannot be an island unto itself. EFCC cannot continue to behave as if there is no law. There is a law and if you want to do an investigation, you do the investigation before inviting the accused person. It is not a question of inviting him and saying you have caught a big fish and at the end of the day you say you are investigating.
“I think with respect, you will not find the President flouting any order because the Attorney General will be made a party to.
“The mere fact an order is made does not mean that you should obey it immediately. You’ll think about it, do I appeal? If I am not appealing what do I do next? If I am not appealing, of course, I cannot subject the order of court to any order of validity.
“By Section 287, it has to be obeyed, not only by the government but by every authority and persons in Nigeria,” Fagbemi said.
