The attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, has withdrawn the N1.84 billion corruption charges filed against Nicholas Ashinze, a former military assistant to then National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, and eight others.
Malami withdrew the case at the Federal High Court in Abuja, immediately after taking over the trial from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The lawyer who represented him in court, David Kaswe, gave no reason for the withdrawal.
The EFCC had called seven prosecution witnesses in the trial that started over five years ago. The commission was to proceed with hearing when a lawyer from the AGF office, Mr Kaswe, announced the decision to take over the case.
The counsel to EFCC, Offem Uket, said he was unaware that the AGF was taking over the matter. He, however, did not oppose the application.
After obtaining the judge’s permission to take over the suit, Mr Kaswe prayed for the withdrawal of the criminal charge against the defendants.
It has become customary of the AGF office on the watch of Mr Malami to terminate EFCC’s cases once it takes over such criminal proceedings. The office does this in exercise of the AGF’s constitutional power to take over and institute a nolle prosequi (terminate trials).
The EFCC, which is under some supervisory control of the AGF, hardly opposes such move even when it is uncomfortable with it.
