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Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has denied allegations that by removing the names of 10 soldiers named as accomplices in the kidnapping charges involving an alleged Taraba State kidnapping kingpin, Bala Hamisu, also known as Wadume, they are being shielded from trial.
Wadume had said after his arrest that some officers of the Nigerian Army actually assisted him to escape arrest.
Critics have accused Malami of having a hand in the delay of the officers not being court martialled and handed over to the police for prosecution, saying that their atrocious act is about to be swept under the carpet.
But responding to a question on if indeed he was shielding soldiers from prosecution, Malami said he was following procedure for the soldiers to first be court martialled by the military as constitutionally required before being prosecuted in the civil court.
He said: “On Wadume’s case, I will like you to note for the record that it’s the office of the Attorney General of the Federation is constitutionally established to consider an interest of justice, public interest and ensure the absence of abuse in the judicial process.
“Within the context of public interest and the interest of justice, what we consider by way of fair hearing is that people that are charged to court are entitled to fair hearing, judicially determined within a reasonable time.
“Then where people are charged multiple times on account of one reason or the other, they cannot collectively be brought before the court for arraignment on account that others are at large.
“Those that are available are entitled to have their case determined within a reasonable time.”
